Dichotomy
by moonswirl
Summary: HEART & FIRE #2. Sequel to The Princess in the Tower Now dating for four months in secret, Booth and Brennan find this secret challenged with a situation at the lab.
1. Prologue: The Man in the Blaze

Title: Dichotomy  
**Sequel to: The Princess in the tower** _(posted here as well)_  
Author: moonie  
Pairings: Booth/Brennan, Jack/Angela  
Rating: PG to PG-13  
Spoilers: Not so much... mostly rests on season 1 info... Also means no Cam, and still some Goodman :D  
Disclaimer: Wish it was mine, but it's not... honest :)  
A/N: Heey, I know I said I'd start posting this in february, but well I got all busy ;) But now here we are! I haven't decided yet if I'll start the monday postings of chapters either this monday or the one next week, but well I wanted to get this going, so...

**PROLOGUE - The Man in the Blaze**

"Daddy, look!" Mary Goodman ran up to her father with a flower in her hand. A moment later, her twin sister Emma came about with a similar plea to 'look!', aimed toward their mother. They came to sit with them on the ground of the park.

"Beautiful they are," Dr. Goodman nodded and smiled. His happy daughters were a true remedy to any blue he might feel.

"You two hungry?" his wife asked them. They nodded with glee.

It was a bright day, the best he could ask for on a day off. Though he hadn't been too much into the idea of a picnic, seeing how much the girls were enjoying themselves and the time they were spending with him turned the whole thing around on him.

His phone rang, drawing him back out of his thoughts. He reached for it, seeing the flash of a let down in his wife's eyes - their perfect day was being breached. He passed on a look of apology before answering.

"Hello?"

"Dr. Goodman, sir..." he closed his eyes.

"Mr. Addy. This is my day off. Unless you have a good reason to..." he started. He looked to find the girls were running off to play again. He sighed.

"I'm sorry, but we really needed to run something by you."

"What is it?" he asked, relenting.

"That shipment from the cave-in over in Texas, we found some bones that didn't belong with the rest."

"I still don't see how..."

"They were dated as being more than a hundred years old. That, added to what we know about the location seems to indicate..."

"Alright," Goodman interrupted him. He looked to his wife. "I'll see about coming in this afternoon." Now she was closing her eyes.

"Thank you. Again, we're sorry..."

"Not as much as I am..." he spoke before hanging up.

"One day, Daniel..." his wife sighed.

"I know. Believe me, I wish I didn't have to leave you three like this." A small smile managed its way to her face, which in turn made him smile.

"Admit it, you love the picnic."

"I will admit to no such thing," he spoke with a barely contained smirk.

"Mm mm," she nodded. "Next time though, you'll have to raise to 'picnic and a movie'."

"Hard bargain." She laughed.

Then there was a scream. Both looked up at once, recognizing the sound as their daughters' voices. They were running back towards them. Goodman and his wife stood to receive them.

"Daddy! There's fire!" Emma proclaimed. "There!" she pointed toward a rocky area of the park.

"It smells bad!" Mary continued. Goodman's skin crawled. He was getting the distinctive feeling it wasn't a simple fire. He looked to his wife.

"Stay with them," he told her before running toward where they'd pointed.

"Daniel!" she called.

"Stay here!" he insisted as he ran.

Coming around the rocks, he found the fire, which originated in an almost cave-like hole in the rocks. He shielded himself as he tried to see into the flames.

Then he saw it, poking out to prove his fears - someone was burning in there.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 1: Different & Similar

_A/N: Thank you so much for all the kind words :) Keep 'em coming, it helps the inspiration, and if I want to keep posting one chapter each week... ;)_

**CHAPTER 1 - Different & Similar**

**EARLIER THAT MORNING**

"There's a tennis court..."

"I don't play tennis."

"I can teach you."

"You play?" she stopped to look at him.

"I dabble," he shrugged. "The court's there, you know?"

"Still no," she moved along and he went on following her.

"You can have your own studio space."

"Jack!" she spoke sharply.

"Fine. But I'm not giving up."

"I'd be floored if you did."

Hodgins had been trying to get Angela to move in with him for going on two weeks. She remained firm in her choice of remaining where they were a while longer - which didn't mean he'd relent.

They arrived up to the platform, where Zack was already working. Hodgins and Angela paused at the sight of several boxes resting in piles on the ground.

"Is that..." Angela paused.

"The remains were found in a broken down building in Houston after the floor caved in," Zack explained. "Where's Dr. Brennan?"

"She's not here?" Hodgins asked. Zack shook his head. "She's never late," he looked between them.

"There was that one time," Zack nodded, thinking.

"No, you know what, I talked to her last night. She said something about stopping somewhere on the way in. I'll give her a call," Angela spoke up, heading toward Brennan's office and taking out her phone. She dialed Brennan's.

"Hello?" she answered after a few rings.

"You're late," Angela greeted her.

"I know," she spoke, from the sound of it, while getting ready.

"Now I know secrets can make things a heck of a lot more interesting, but the trick is you gotta keep things normal."

"Is that the wisdom of Montenegro?" Brennan chuckled.

"You bet."

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes," she hung up. She looked up from tying her shoes, a smile coming to her face. "You are not sleeping," she shook her head. He didn't budge. "I have a shoe, and a good aim."

"Please, I'm unarmed," Booth raised his arms in mock surrender.

"I have to go. And you have to go too."

"Yes ma'am," he sat up. "Guess I'll see you there."

"Of course," she smiled, reaching down to finish with her shoes.

"It's wrong that your little jumpsuit gets me going like that now," Booth shook his head. She chuckled, rising to her feet.

"Aren't you supposed to be the... badass FBI guy?"

"It's all your fault. You get me weak..." he defended himself.

"Uh huh," she nodded, slipping on her jacket as she walked over, leaning forward to kiss him. "Don't be late," she gave him a smile as she pulled back.

"The authority bit, seriously..." he shook his head.

"Bye," she cut him short, knowing if she didn't go now she wouldn't get to the lab anytime soon.

Once down to her car, Brennan hurried toward the lab. It had been four months now that things between them had started up. She didn't know what to expect, and part of her had been so on edge at the thought that it might go wrong somehow that it gave her headaches. She felt clueless, about a lot of things.

But then there was him, and how he'd look at her. Booth would look at her and nothing would ever be as bad as it seemed. He gave her something she had not felt before... and to this day she didn't know how she could ever not have this in her life.

Still, there were rules... ways that they had to remember, to keep things the way they wanted them. They weren't ready to have people know. It had been months but still they had their concerns, about what it would mean for them if the people they worked with - or for - knew. Even more so, they liked the privacy of it.

So they kept things separate - their relationships on and off the clock remaining separate. They continued calling one another as they always had, both for habit's sake and hoping to prevent any slips.

It wasn't a total secrecy. Angela had known more or less from the start, and to be truthful it almost helped that she knew. Booth called her their undercover operative. She kept things alright when they couldn't.

She'd found out the morning after the first date. Brennan had come into the lab, according to Angela, as though she were walking on a cloud. Brennan herself, for all her smarts and the like, couldn't manage to find a way for her not to say it. Before long she'd laid out the whole story. As she'd imagined, Angela was slightly miffed at being kept in the dark, but she got over it relatively quickly.

Since then, they'd been living the dream. Everything about it felt that way. It was as though they were seeing what they'd been denying themselves - they saw the things they'd been missing out on and made a personal vow not to find themselves wanting, lacking anymore. The secrets... they didn't mind them. The job they did required a certain mindset, so keeping things this way made it possible.

When Brennan pulled up to the Jeffersonian, she hurried in and toward the lab. The first she met was Angela, who awaited her with a grin.

"Eleven minutes, nice job," she spoke barely above a whisper. Brennan gave her a look before taking in the boxes stacked around.

"Texas?" she asked.

"It's going to be a long day," Angela remarked as way of confirmation.

"Then we should get to it," Brennan reached for a pair of gloves.

"What do you think happened?" Hodgins asked as they all worked. Brennan and Zack both looked up at him.

"From the initial report, we should be looking at half a dozen or so. Everything indicates both males and females aged anywhere between pre-teens and early thirties," Brennan explained.

"No, but WHAT happened?" he gestured.

"Several of the bones show markings that indicate gunshots, others are fractured, broken..." Zack went on.

"How do you all not know what I'm saying?" Hodgins pondered aloud.

"Could be a cult," Angela suggested. That made Hodgins grin.

"And that's why you get the prize."

"I thought it was my winning smile," Angela smirked.

"There's that."

"Could we not... flirt... right now?" Zack asked.

"Don't worry, I don't think you have to concern yourself with me flirting with you... ever," Hodgins assured Zack.

They went on working, organizing the different sets of remains. There were six skulls, six faces that were needed for Angela to do.

"The timing could not be worse," she sighed as she gathered them.

"Angelator still on the fritz?" Hodgins asked her.

"I don't know, maybe it's better, but with the people in there doing the remodeling, I'd rather not tempt it. It's better off staying sealed up," she explained. "It's fine... it just has to be done the old-fashioned way," she flexed her fingers.

"They've compiled a list of missing people that could be these here," Brennan indicated.

"Okay. I'm going to go somewhere else, try to get my focus on," she headed off. Hodgins watched her go.

"Why do you think she won't move in?" he asked Brennan and Zack once she was out of earshot.

"Uh?" Brennan asked, still tuned into the remains.

"Angela. I keep asking her to move in, she won't do it. It's not like I'm pushing on things, she practically spends all her time there."

"It's... a big step," Brennan shrugged.

"I get that. I'm not saying she has to rush at it, just consider the possibility of the idea." He stood there a moment. "Maybe you could talk to her," he spoke to Brennan.

"No," she shook her head with a smirk.

"Why not?"

"You don't want me to talk to her, you want me to talk her into it. Can't do that," she got back to work. Hodgins sighed, then turned to Zack. He opened his mouth to speak but then opted against it.

"I need Booth, when's he coming in?"

"We don't have an FBI case," Brennan pointed out. "At least not with him. You can ask the agent from Texas, she suggested with a smirk.

"Not cool," he muttered to himself before getting back to work.

They worked for a time, focused on achieving the large task before them. It wasn't the easiest thing to do, but situations like these were not something they took lightly to.

"These bones here... they're not right..." Zack shook his head after a moment. Brennan looked up.

"Can you be more specific?" she asked. Zack blinked, realizing he'd just stood there without explanation. He indicated the bones he was refering to, listing his concerns. "Good job," she smiled.

"Why, what is it?" Hodgins approached. Brennan explained.

"They were there... decades more than those," she indicated the rest of the bones. "We've got two situations in there."

"Shouldn't we be calling Dr. Goodman?" Zack asked.

"Go for it," Brennan nodded.

"Why me?" Zack blinked.

"Your finding," Brennan pointed out, much to Hodgins' amusement and Zack's anguish.

So Zack had made the call. It was barely five minutes later that Goodman called back.

"Brennan," she answered.

"Those bones will have to wait," was Goodman's greeting.

"Why, what's going on?"

"Gather your people and get to the park. We've got a burning body."

"How bad?" she started gathering her things to get going.

"It's down to the bones. They're putting out the fire now. I'm supervising, don't worry," he explained. "My girls found him..." he continued.

"We'll be there in a few minutes," she hung up. "Zack, Hodgins!" she called, moving back toward the platform. "We're putting these on hold. We've got a case."

The three of them headed to the park. On the way, Brennan called Booth to tell him where they were headed. When they arrived, the area had been gated to keep out curious onlookers and a couple of reporters. They were allowed through.

"I'll be right there," Brennan told the others as she spotted Goodman and his family nearby. He and his wife each held on to one of their girls, who looked naturally upset.

"Dr. Brennan," Goodman nodded as she approached.

"I wanted to ask now, if... any of you saw anything we should know about..." Goodman looked to his wife and she took over on comforting the girls as he and Brennan stepped aside.

"It's probably burned up since, but the victim was wearing something around its face, a long thin strip... Couldn't make out what it was, but there were markings on it." Brennan nodded and headed off to join Zack and Hodgins. She paused halfway there when she saw Booth had arrived. Each of them allowed themselves a brief smile before pushing it back.

As she approached Zack and Hodgins, she saw they were working to pull the remains from their hole.

"How's it looking?" she asked.

"Crispy," Hodgins declared. Brennan crouched to take a look.

"Male... late fifties to early sixties," she estimated. She spotted the thing Goodman had refered to, which had slid down and barely looked like it held together. She couldn't see any of the markings Goodman had spoken of. "Be careful with the strip around his face," she pointed.

After a while, they had gotten the body out and wrapped for transport. "I'll be here a while," Hodgins commented as he looked into the vacated space. "Meet you back at the lab?" he told Brennan and Zack. They agreed and went to the van.

"Hey..." Booth came up to them on the way.

"Hi," she replied, a smile rising to her eyes just to see him.

"Hello," Zack's presence was reminded to them. They blinked and turned back to 'business'.

"Heading back to the Jeffersonian?" Booth asked.

"Yeah," Brennan nodded. "Are you..."

"I have to talk to Dr. Goodman first, but I'll be around afterward," he explained. She nodded and headed toward the van. "Hey Bones..." he called as she was reaching for the door handle. She looked back to find him miming to her outfit, giving a slight nod and smirk. She glared playfully before taking off for the lab.

xx

"Let's do what we can about the strip, the clothes, then..." Brennan started as she and Zack stood over the blackened remains.

"Right," Zack nodded. They got to work, slowly releasing the strip. They had to be delicate, sensing the fragility of the thing. Eventually, they were both holding on to it, free from the body.

"I think I know what this is..." Brennan breathed out.

Before she could go on though, lights began to flash, an alarm ringing with deafening loudness. Brennan and Zack froze, looking between themselves and the strip. Neither could just let go.

"What is it?" Brennan looked around as others started evacuating. Almost on cue, a voice came up over speakers.

"There's been a call of a bomb inside this building. Please remain calm and evacuate."

"Dr. Brennan?" Zack asked her worriedly.

"It's... okay. Let's just secure this, then we can go."

"I..." he started weakly.

"There's nothing to tell us they won't resolve this, let's make sure the evidence is safe for when they let us back in." He took a deep breath, then nodded.

They moved as quickly as they could, as the lab emptied out. Their hearts were racing, trying to focus on the task at hand and not just the need to get out.

When it was secure, Brennan and Zack looked to each other, starting to run out as Brennan nodded. They'd nearly made it out the door when Brennan saw Zack stop. She turned back to him.

"Zack!"

"Angela..." he spoke.

"What?" she asked, blinking.

"She's down t here working on the skulls from the cave-in," he reminded her. She gasped.

"She won't hear," she spoke in concern, knowing Angela's ways.

"We can't leave her..."

"Okay, come on," she nodded and they started running back into the lab.

"They'll find it won't they?" Zack asked, fear getting the best of him still.

"Yeah..." Brennan worked to convince them both.

As they passed the platform, they heard glass break. Both tripped to a stop, imagining the worst. Curiosity made them go look.

The sound had come from the room they had just left, where the remains from the park rested. When they peered in, both stopped. A man and a woman, neither looking like they belonged there, stood over the body, wearing gloves and holding large empty bags. When they looked up, Brennan found her fury.

"What do you think you're doing?" she yelled, rushing at the man. She'd kicked him down, ready to strike again.

"Dr. Brennan!" the tone of Zack's voice drew her back.

She saw what he saw. Outside the room, another man ushered Angela forward with a gun pointed to her head. Brennan and Angela locked eyes, tears brimming Angela's.

"I wouldn't advise doing that again," the man with the gun spoke to Brennan, indicating the one she had kicked. She stood back. "Good thinking. Looks like we've got ourselves a bit of a situation."

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 2: Hopes & Fears

_A/N: You guys? Are awesome :D Big hugs to all:) Also, to keep you up to date, I've now finished writing chapter 7!_

**CHAPTER 2 - Hopes & Fears**

Everyone stood very still for a moment. The alarm went on ringing, but they all stood still. After a minute, the man with the gun took a step back.

"Go stand with your friend there," he told Angela. She hesitated looking aside a the gun that was still raised. "Go," he repeated. She startled and walked to Brennan, who took her hand as she reached her.

"Are you okay?" Brennan asked and Angela nodded. A moment later another man showed up. Taking in the scene, he turned to the gunman.

"What's..."

"We got this," he insisted. This was the leader.

"The bomb squad is gonna come in here soon," Brennan pointed out. The two men looked up at her.

"Then we better make sure that doesn't happen..." said the gunman.

xx

"How are they doing?" Booth asked Goodman as they sat with the doctor's wife and daughters.

"Still shook up," Goodman looked to the two of them, huddled against their mother.

"None of you saw anyone hanging about that might look..."

"Like they'd set a man on fire? No." He paused with a sigh. "It never ends, does it?" Booth chuckled. "I just pray he wasn't alive when they... lit him."

"Brennan will determine that," Booth nodded.

"Dr. Goodman, Booth!" They looked up to find Hodgins running towards them.

"Dr. Hodgins..." Goodman started, but he cut in right away.

"Just got a call, someone called in about a bomb threat against the Jeffersonian."

"What?" Booth asked firmly. A second later, Goodman's phone rang, followed by Booth's. Goodman paused, looking to his wife. No words were needed. She nodded. He kissed her and the girls and he followed Booth and Hodgins.

"I tried calling Angela, there was no response," Hodgins spoke and half-ran at the same time.

"Don't worry, I'll get us there."

xx

"Let's just get what we came for and get out of here," the third man was whisper-shouting at the gunman.

"We can't," he shook his head.

"Why not?"

"Delay... things have changed."

"So we'll figure another way."

"No..." he looked up at the three lab-coated people before them. "I've got a better idea."

"They're gonna kill us... We're gonna die..." Zack was whispering, shaking his head.

"We're not gonna die," Brennan put her hand on his arm, trying to sound reassuring.

"This is bad..." he kept on.

"Hey," the gunman approached him. He shuddered as he looked up. "Relax, okay? No one's getting hurt if you do as we say. Got it?" Zack nodded shakily.

"Why are you here?" Angela asked them. The four intruders seemed to confer silently, passing on thoughts and opinions as best as eyes could carry.

"That's my father on that table," he nodded to the charred man. "Mine and my sister's," the gunman nodded to the girl. "Why we're here is to get him out of here, make sure he's not used as the lightning rod to certain people's desire to grab power."

"I don't see how that would help any..." Brennan started.

"Because they want me out. These people, that's how they get at you. It's not enough to kill you, they'll make you suffer into it."

"They'll frame him for it," his sister stepped up. "They know what they're doing."

"We know what WE'RE doing. And if you didn't do it we'll know. Why would you risk..." Brennan shook her head.

"Stop," the gunman cut her off. "Give me your phone," he held his hand out to Brennan. She did, weighing the odds he'd threaten someone if she refused. For now there was no upshot in refusing to comply.

"Sit," the man Brennan had kicked ordered them, indicating the ground. They did so, as the gunman looked through Brennan's phone contacts.

"Doctor, doctor..." he read off. "No good. Who's Russ?"

"My brother," she answered.

"No good," he shook his head again. "Booth, who's that?" he asked. Brennan blinked. "Okay," he put the call in.

xx

When Booth, Hodgins, and Goodman arrived at the Jeffersonian, the collected employees, security and bomb squad officers made for quite a crowd. As they cut through, they absently searched the faces for the ones that mattered the most to them. They found none.

"What's the situation?" Booth addressed the agent in charge.

"Everyone is accounted for except for three - Dr. Brennan, Mr. Addy, and Miss Montenegro. We have accounts saying Brennan and Addy were lagging due to some evidence. Others also say they saw them head out and return."

"Angela..." Hodgins spoke up.

"Are you going in?" Booth asked.

"Shortly," the agent nodded in near panic seeing the look on Booth's face. He wanted results. When his phone rang, it took a moment for him to realize it. When he saw it was Brennan, he felt immense relief. That quickly went away with the voice he was met with, which was most certainly not Brennan.

"Mr. Booth. You may be wondering what's going on, so I'll tell you. I'm standing in front of these three labcoats right now. You tell the FBI, whoever's in charge, that if they even try to break in, the bomb will be detonated. And that's after we put a bullet in their brains. Do we have an understanding?"

"Let me talk to her," he spoke flatly. At his side, Hodgins looked up. There were a few seconds of silence.

"You have one minute."

Inside, the gunman held her phone out to Brennan. After a moment, she took it. As it was, her mind was racing, looking for a way out of this situation - a way that wouldn't get them all killed. It came down to a simple fact - the man wanted truth. Maybe they could get him that.

"Booth..." she spoke, feeling like she was on display with all the others listening in.

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" was the first thing he asked. She held on to the phone a little tighter.

"I'm okay, we all are," she looked to Angela and Zack. All okay and and terrified, but she wasn't going to say that. She hesitated before going on. "No heroics to worry about. It's the job..." she hoped he'd pick on to what she was getting at.

"I'll get you out of there, I promise."

"I know you will, just..."

"What do you want me to do?" She sighed with relief inside. They had long had a system of trust between the two of them, but since they'd been together, it had only improved.

"You do what you do best."

"How am I going to do that, I don't have anything to go on." At his side, Hodgins seemed to catch on. He pointed to his bag. "Hodgins has samples from the scene."

Inside, Brennan thought hard on something to give him. She saw the cord, and suddenly she had a flash. The length, the shape, the ends... It was a tailor's measuring tape. Now she just had to get that to him.

"Booth... We'll... mend this. Give it a few stitches."

"What?" Booth asked, Angela and Zack giving about the same response with their eyes. "Is that supposed to be a clue?"

"Uh-huh," she answered plainly.

"Okay, time's up," the gunman took the phone back. "I'll call back in an hour, you'll get another minute. Just remember - no funny business." And he hung up.

xx

"What are we doing?" Hodgins stared Booth down. He stared back, turned to look at the building. "Booth, please. I've gotta do something."

"I know, we will." He looked around again. "Get Goodman, bring him to my car." Hodgins nodded and dashed off. Booth stood there for a moment, taking a breath, then headed for his car.

Standing there, Brennan's words echoed in his head. What was she trying to tell him? He had to figure it out, find the answer and get her out of there.

Mending... something... Giving stitches... Was she saying someone was hurt? He pushed that away. It wasn't that, he would know. So what was it?

"Agent Booth..." he looked up at Goodman's call. He turned to face him and Hodgins.

"We have to figure this out, the case, the man in the cave."

"What?" Goodman blinked.

"That's what Dr. Brennan wants, and that's what we'll do."

"How..." Goodman started.

"Doesn't matter." Booth and Goodman looked to Hodgins. "I trust her. If she things it's what will get them all out safely..." He stopped, looking to the two of them. Booth nodded before turning to Goodman. He was weighing his options.

"I would like to state I'm not a hundred percent into this idea," he finally spoke.

"We'll take it," Booth nodded. "They'll call back in less than an hour, let's make sure we've got something to give them."

xx

Inside the lab, things were relatively quiet. The four intruders were whispering just a few feet away from Brennan, Angela and Zack.

"What was that about?" Angela tried not to be heard as she addressed Brennan.

"What?" she asked.

"It'll mend? Stitches?" Angela reminded.

"Had to give him something. Right now our best shot is finding the proof he's looking for. Booth can find it."

"How do you know he's not guilty? How do you know he's not just like Epps, looking for an out from execution?" she pointed out. That got to Brennan, but she went on.

"If I were to go on that assumption every time, how many cases wouldn't get solved? And if he IS guilty, then we'll make sure he'll get what's coming to him." Angela looked at her a moment.

"Booth giving you pep talk tips?" she teased. Brennan blinked. "Still don't understand what you were going on about."

"The object that was wrapped around him," she explained, looking to both Angela and Zack, "It was a measuring tape."

"A tailor..." Zack blinked in understanding.

"Yeah," Brennan confirmed.

"Let's hope they figure it out," Angela spoke, stopping as the intruders' confab ended and they turned toward their hostages.

"On your feet," the gunman instructed. They would later know him as Frank, know the second man as Jim, and those they'd found with the remains as Ethan and Danielle.

"What are you going to do?" Angela asked as they did as told. Frank approached her. She braced herself, so not to flinch.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Angela," she replied.

"Well, Angela... you go in there," he indicated the room where the remains were. He nodded his head to it. She flinched as Jim pulled her toward the room, closed the door and stood in front of it. Brennan and Zack watched. "What about you?" Frank turned to Zack.

"I, uh..." Frank stepped up, read his coat.

"Mr. Addy," he addressed him, then pushed him to be led by Ethan into another room, guarded as Angela was. Frank and Brennan now stood facing each other. "And the fighter..."

"I'm Dr. Temperance Brennan, I..."

"Ah... I know you," he interrupted her. "My sister read your book." He took a step forward. "Follow her."

"I can help you," Brennan pointed out.

"Don't need any help but my own. Now... go," he stepped back. "I'm not looking for things to get out of control but if you force my hand..."

Brennan followed Danielle, finding herself led to a room. She observed the girl, who looked barely in her twenties. She didn't look like she'd fit in with those other three, something she hoped might come up as useful.

"What's your name?" she asked her. She looked up.

"If this is you trying to find an 'in', you can stop." She paused and indicated the room.

"Not my intention," she insisted before walking into the room.

"Good," Danielle shut the door.

xx

Hodgins and Goodman sat side by side at Booth's desk, waiting. Neither spoke, neither would have known what to say. It was Hodgins who had deciphered Brennan's clue, which Goodman approved of, seeing the body flash in his mind again. Booth was looking to get them a list they could work from.

Hodgins hated not being able to get Angela out immediately. The thought of her in there, no clue as to how she was and who was with her and the others... But as it was, her life could very well hang in the balance. He wouldn't be the one to tip the scale and end up losing her. How much this relationship meant to him only appeared that much clearer.

Booth returned to his office, a small stack of sheets in his hands. "Take some of these, start calling, see if anyone's missing..."

"Thirty-seven minutes," Hodgins looked to Booth, who met his gaze. "And when they're over and he calls again..."

"We'll have something, I promise," Booth handed out the sheets.

"How do we proceed?" Goodman asked.

"Don't bring up the FBI or the situation at the lab unless you have to." Goodman and Hodgins nodded before moving to separate corners for some quiet as they settled in to make their calls.

For a while, all they found were live and accounted for tailors. As the minutes ticked along, all they could think about was how the three of them were trapped with at least one gun-wielding and possibly extremely dangerous man. Were they safe? Would any of this really matter, make a difference... Or would they be burying their friends?

It took half an hour before Hodgins found himself on the line with a viable lead. He'd contacted one shop located a bare ten minutes from the park to find not only that the shop's owner, Franklin Kinsley Sr, had not come home the previous night, but his son Franklin Jr and his daughter Danielle had left in a hurry a couple of hours before and were now unreachable.

Hodgins waved to Booth to try and get his attention. He got out of the call he was on, walking up to Hodgins' 'station'. Hitting the speaker button, he leaned to the table. A woman's voice came on mid-sentence.

"... seamstress was out on vacation, so I tried Dani's cell, but there was no answer. I tried Frank's..."

"Mrs. Kinsley, you're now on speaker, with both myself and Agent Booth of the FBI," Hodgins spoke up.

"The FBI?" Mrs. Kinsley repeated, sounding panicked now as was to be expected.

"Ma'am, does your son have a criminal record?" There was a pause.

"Whatever's going on, you better tell me now. If someone is making this type of accusation toward my son, I want to know why." Booth looked to Hodgins, then to Goodman as he stood and approached the phone.

"Mrs. Kinsley, I'm Dr. Goodman with the Jeffersonian Institute. Earlier this morning, we recovered a body mid-immolation whom we have reason to believe may be that of your husband." There was the muffled sound of a cry.

"How... how certain?"

"Well as it is, this brings us to our second situation," Booth answered.

"What?" she asked.

"We have a situation at the lab where the remains were taken. An unknown number of people has since taken it over, holding three hostages. We've spoken to one of them on the phone. Based on what you've told us, we have reason to believe it may be your son." There was pause, once again. "Mrs. Kinsley?" Booth asked after a moment.

"My son is a good man, Agent Booth."

"I'm not saying otherwise. But do you believe there is a possibility it could be him." Another pause.

"Yes." They wrapped up the call, sending someone to pick up Mrs. Kinsley for further talks.

"What now?" Hodgins asked. Booth looked to the dock.

"Wait for the call."

TBC


	4. Chapter 3: Inside & Out

**CHAPTER 3 - Inside & Out**

Brennan sat quietly in the room she'd been confined to, staring intently at a clock on the wall... waiting. It was coming on one hour since she'd spoken to Booth. By all accounts, she would soon be allowed another minute to talk.

She hated not being able to do anything. The items in her room wouldn't allow for any furthering in the case or their release. It made her slightly powerless, something she couldn't stand for. For now though, she had nothing to go on.

When the door opened, she looked up to find Frank walking in, her phone in his hand.

"Showtime, Doc," he grabbed her arm to make her stand. Dialing Booth up again, he handed her the phone. She glared and waited for an answer.

"Temperance..."

It took all she had not to break. As it was, she remained very aware of her 'audience'. "Hi..." she slowly replied.

"We don't have much time, so I'll go fast. We IDed your vic, we think. Do you have a girl in there?"

"Yes."

"Got anyone who could be her brother?"

"We do."

"Right. You've got Franklin and Danielle Kinsley. Dead man's their father, Franklin Kinsley Sr. Time of death is probably somewhere last night, time of death or capture. He didn't come home. And he's a tailor." She took this all in. "Are you all..."

"We're okay."

"I'm getting you out of there, count on it."

"I know," she assured him wholly.

"And... I love you." She almost teared up.

"I..." Before she could go on, Frank took the phone back, shutting it after giving another promise of a call in an hour. He gave Brennan a nod, and then he left her.

Alone again, Brennan quietly sat back on the ground. There had to be a way to get things moving in the right direction. The problem was that anything tried and failed could end up costing Angela and Zack their lives. Still, she couldn't let it go.

xx

"How'd it go?" Hodgins asked anxiously as he saw Booth return to the office. He'd dashed out with his phone as soon as it had let loose the beginning of a chime.

"Told Brennan what we found," he explained, going to sit across from Hodgins and Goodman.

"And?"

"And that's it. She says they're okay. She also confirmed our IDs. Frank Jr and Danielle are among the intruders." A moment later, there was a knock at the door. The men looked toward it.

"Agent Booth, Mrs. Kinsley is here," an agent told him. The three stood. Booth looked to Hodgins and Goodman.

"I'll take care of it. You should look after those samples from the crime scene."

"Right," Hodgins nodded. "Just point me toward the lab."

Booth headed off to meet Mrs. Kinsley. He found her pacing about. Booth could tell how these possibilities the call had placed in her head were starting to get to her. He already knew this wouldn't be easy.

"Mrs. Kinsley, we spoke on the phone? I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth," he entered the room. She reached forward to shake his hand.

"Tina Kinsley," she introduced herself. There was silence as she stood there, still holding on to Booth's hand. Finally, she looked up. She had questions in her eyes.

"Mrs. Kinsley..." Booth started, his tone grabbing at the woman.

"Agent Booth, my husband and I have been married twenty-nine years. We're going to Spain next summer for our thirtieth anniversary. He's not... He can't..." Booth stood there, unable to place word one as he looked into this woman's already grief-ready eyes.

"Mrs. Kinsley, please sit," he finally indicated the chair. In that instant she knew there would be no trip to Spain.

"Oh God... Franklin..." she sobbed, and Booth helped her sit before her legs gave out. He let her hold on to his left hand as his right pulled the box of tissues within her reach. She picked one, bringing it to her reddening eyes.

"I'm terribly sorry. If you need a moment, I..." She looked up at him.

"My children?"

"They're unharmed. However..." he paused.

"What?" she asked.

"There's no easy way to say this. There's a hostage situation at the lab where your husband's body was taken..."

"Frank and Dani are in there?" she asked, a new panic rising. Just by her voice he knew she figured them to be hostages.

"They are. But they're not being held hostage. They're the ones doing the holding." Mrs. Kinsley looked up at him like she almost wanted to smack him for even suggesting it. But then he pulled out a small device, placing it on the table before them. "This is a recording from the first call we received." He pressed a button and the voice came.

_"Mr. Booth. You may be wondering what's going on, so I'll tell you. I'm standing in front of these three labcoats right now..."_

The further the recording went, the more Mrs. Kinsley seemed devastated and betrayed. When Booth stopped the tape, they both remained quiet. Finally, Tina Kinsley spoke. "That's... that's my son."

"One of the hostages confirmed your daughter is also present. We're unaware whether there are any others..."

"Jim and Ethan..." she simply spoke.

"I'm sorry?" Booth asked.

"Jim Perry and Ethan James. If there's anyone else, that'd be my guess. They're Frank's closest friends, Ethan is Danielle's fiance." Her voice was flat, still trying to accept these facts being presented to her. Booth pulled his phone.

"It's Booth. I need you to see if you can find a Jim Perry and an Ethan James. Yeah, they might be at the Jeffersonian." After Booth hung up, he turned to Mrs. Kinsley. "Your son doesn't have a record, he's never done anything close to this. Is there any reason he might suddenly do this?"

"No, I... I just don't understand. This isn't him, he's not..."

"It's alright, I believe you. Mrs. Kinsley, tell me about your husband. Does he have any enemies, people who've threatened him?" A look flashed across her eyes, though she seemed to try not to entertain the thought. "Who?" Booth asked. She looked up at him.

"T-they wouldn't," she persisted.

"Mrs. Kinsley..."

"Yes... Only once upon a time, before I was married that is... I was Tina Grassi." That made Booth sit up.

"As in..." he asked.

"As in," she confirmed. "My father is Robert Grassi." Booth looked at her, suddenly understanding this situation a lot more - and he really wished he didn't. "He didn't acknowledge me, or my mother, for years. We're a bit of a family secret. But we are still family."

"What is the relation like between your husband and your... family."

"My father didn't really approve of Franklin at first. Then when Franklin offered to make their suits at 'discount', he somehow changed his tune. They're still not the best of friends but at least they understand each other."

"What about your children? Has your father ever tried to..."

"Recruit them? I'd never allow it, and neither would Franklin."

"But he has tried."

"There are surprisingly few 'blood' males in our family. My father's had it in his head for years that Frank would take over after he was gone. We've told him that would never happen. But then he's persistent..."

xx

Zack sat on the ground in the middle of the room for what seemed like an eternity... thinking. There were things he knew as truths in regard to this situation they were currently in. He knew that as far as brute force, they were ridiculously outnumbered - not to mention they were lacking in fire power. He also knew that they were favored when it came to brainpower and creativity. That was going to have to be their way out. How to channel their brainpower and not have the firepower cancel that out... that would take some thinking.

He kept his eye on the clock as the minutes would roll on by. When he saw the time for the next allotted call to Agent Booth come and go, he established that they wouldn't come for him unless he were to ask. This meant he had one hour to find something he could bring to Doctor Brennan.

As much as he tried to take this situation as calmly and as rationally as possible, a fear would creep in and take to the spotlight. What if something went wrong? What if they couldn't do this without getting themselves killed? Would they end up like one of the bodies they worked over on a daily basis? Suddenly, he was very conscientious of what they all did all day.

He closed his eyes, trying to give himself a pep talk, a direction. Be like Booth. Booth wouldn't panic in a situation like this. No, Booth would somehow look past the danger and he would get them out. Of course, Booth could also probably take these people down with some technique or another he could do in his sleep. In Zack's case... it remained highly unlikely.

So he couldn't be Booth. He wasn't Seeley Booth, he was Zack Addy. And as Angela had put it, Zack Addy was 'freakishly smart.' With that in mind, he got off his feet, and started looking around the room.

There was something in here, something they could use. He was certain it was here, and he just couldn't think of it for some reason. It would just figure they'd all find themselves trapped in here... again...

He paused, mouth hanging open as he suddenly remembered. He all but smacked himself on the head in disbelief that he'd actually forgotten about it. He opened a cabinet and looked down, spotting the case at the bottom. Now with his 'offering to the cause,' Zack felt like there was a chance for relaxing until the time came around.

xx

"Found something," Hodgins announced to Goodman. He looked up. "Franklin Michael Kinsley. Born, blah, blah, school, honors, graduated..."

"I don't see how this helps our colleagues..." Goodman cut him off. Hodgins raised a finger into the air.

"You didn't let me finish. So he finishes school, he goes and takes over his father's shop after the old man dies. And that's around the time he meets his future wife."

"Again, I..." Goodman tried again, once more presented with a finger.

"The mystery is hidden thanks to a little case of name taking. The widow Kinsley took the name, in the process discarding the maiden name... Grassi." Goodman was awestruck. "What'd I tell you?"

"Where did you get all this?"

"Encyclopedia Dorothyca..." off Goodman's look, "My friend Dory. And don't ask me where she gets it." Before Goodman could comment, Booth rejoined them in his office.

"You two keep looking, I'm going to..."

"Wait, wait, where are you going?" Hodgins stood. "Did something happen at the lab?"

"No, nothing of that kind," Booth assured him. "I just have to take care of something."

"Agent Booth," Goodman spoke up, still facing away. Booth stopped. "Whatever you found out, let's hear it." More silence...

"Talked with Kinsley's wife. There's something in her family I need..."

"You mean in Robert Grassi's family?" Hodgins guessed. "We know too. And we're coming with you."

xx

Angela was counting for nicks in the wall. Anything that could serve to keep her mind clear, she did. One, two, three, forget that they were being held hostage. Four, five, six, forget the gun she'd found pointed at her before. Seven, eight, nine, forget the burnt up body a couple of feet behind her...

This was the job. She saw these things, the things that made people run and squirm, every day. But it didn't make it easier. She thought about this man. She thought about how messed up it was that she hoped they'd killed him before they set him on fire. She thought about this man's family, how they'd lost him. The fact that this involved their current predicament didn't even really matter. A woman had lost her husband, children had lost their father... Treating them as any different wasn't something she would do. She'd just have to part her thoughts.

She thought about Jack. She didn't want a silly argument over living arrangements to be the last thing they ever said to each other. She didn't know why it was so hard for her to think about it - or maybe she knew too much... Either way, things would change. If they got out - no, WHEN they got out - they'd change.

xx

"Booth?"

"Hodgins?" he replied.

"Are we going in?" Booth looked at his watch.

"It's almost time for the call," he explained after a moment.

"Oh... right. Sorry."

"No problem," he kept looking about. "Did you get in touch with your wife?" he turned briefly to Goodman.

"Yes. She's at home with the girls. Her sister came in to be with them. They're getting better. Thank you for asking."

"Sure," Booth nodded.

xx

Back at the lab, Zack looked at the clock and saw it was time. Deep breaths in and out accompanied a pat down of his coat pockets to make sure he could do what he planned to do.

Drawing his closed fist to the door, he knocked. A few seconds later, Ethan opened the door, his face devoid of any kind of emotion. Zack gulped discreetly.

"I, uh... I'd like to see Doctor Brennan and Angela, I want to see that they're okay." Ethan looked at him.

"I'll ask," he finally said. After a minute of pacing, he was rewarded with instructions for Zack to follow him.

He felt like a stranger in his own world. He spent countless hours in this place, but now he couldn't help feeling like this was some other place, not his home away from home. Soon, he saw Brennan and Angela escorted out of their isolation rooms.

"Nice and slow," Frank instructed them. They did, hands outstretched... it was almost like a dance. Zack reached Angela first, throwing his arms around her, she was almost knocked off her feet.

"Woah, hey... I'm okay, I'm... okay," her voice dropped when she felt an object drop into her coat pocket. Her eyes briefly crossed with Zack's, an understanding exchanged with barely a hint of a nod or a blink. They stepped apart and Angela kept a clear look.

"I'm glad you two are alright..." Zack took the hugging party to Brennan. She was still confused by what she was seeing.

"Hurry it up now. Wouldn't want your boss to miss her time with her boyfriend," he waved the phone about.

"R-right..." Zack said, pulling his little treasure from his pocket to Brennan's. For a moment, his fingers slipped and he worried he'd drop it. But a moment later, he got it where he needed it to go. He stepped back.

"Okay, you two, back to your corners," Frank indicated Zack and Angela. They were escorted back as Frank approached Brennan with the phone.

xx

"They're late," Hodgins told Booth as they remained in the awkwardly quiet car. Booth looked to his watch.

"They're not. He'll call."

"How can you be so sure?" Almost in response, the phone rang.

"It's a gift." He answered. "Hey..." his voice softened just a bit. "Are you okay?"

"I am. And... I saw Zack and Angela. They're okay too."

"Good... good, I'll let them know."

"Good," Brennan repeated.

"Listen, we have a lead. Tina Kinsley - the wife - is Robert Grassi's daughter. From what I can tell, he really wants his grandson to take his place after he's gone, you know? We're about to go look into that."

"Okay."

"We'll deal with this."

"I know." She could tell she was about to be cut off. "Talk to you in an hour..." she managed to get in before Frank took the phone away and got Danielle to take Brennan back to her 'lock-up'.

Things were happening, moving along. Just knowing that, she felt just a little more at ease, felt her breathing calm.

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 4: Cloak & Dagger

**CHAPTER 4 - Cloak & Dagger**

"Agent Booth, please have a seat. You'll forgive me for not standing to greet you. I'm afraid I'm not in the best shape anymore." Robert Grassi had become one of those men. The man looked like nothing too threatening as age altered his appearance and demeanor. But then if you were even mildly aware of his history, you knew not to take him at face value. If you did, it could get you killed, and if you didn't... your chances were slightly improved.

"Thank you for seeing us," Booth approached, flanked by the other two. Meeting Grassi directly hadn't exactly been their first intention. But then they didn't have much of a choice. "These are Drs. Hodgins and Goodman," he introduced as they sat. Grassi nodded, Goodman was keeping a stern face, no tell. Hodgins was on a trip, as much as he tried to deny it. His blank face was weakly welded on.

"To what do I owe this visit?"

"Sir, we were just with your daughter... Tina..." he pressed on the word, was pleasantly surprised to see a flicker in Grassi's eye when he brought it up. "I regret to inform you her husband was found dead a few hours ago." Grassi shifted in his seat, but remained otherwise silent. "He was murdered." Booth locked eyes with the old man, extending the turn to talk over to him.

"I can't say that I'm surprised by this," he spoke evenly, gesturing to a butler to bring him a drink.

"Is that right?" Booth asked.

"I knew this would come."

"Your son-in-law a bad man? Did he hurt your daughter?" he tested him. Grassi sat up.

"If he did I'd have taken care of it myself." Booth relented. "I didn't have a problem with Franklin."

"But you're saying someone did."

"If you're looking for me to point the finger at someone, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave."

"Honor is very important to you, isn't it, Mr. Grassi," Goodman spoke up. Grassi turned to him.

"Above all else."

"And you'll protect those you care for, most of all your blood..." Grassi remained silent. Booth nodded to Goodman to let him know he'd carry on.

"Tell us about your grandson, Mr. Grassi. Frank..."

"Leave him out of this," Grassi remained firm. Hodgins sat up.

"You're trying to protect him. Did he say anything to you that..."

"I'm sorry, I'm going to have to cut this short. I need to lie down. They'll see you out," he waved to the butler.

A minute later, the three men were back in Booth's car. "So what do we make of that?" Hodgins asked.

"Either Franklin Kinsley Jr. killed his father, or that's what Robert Grassi wants up to think. But you said so yourself, Agent Booth, Tina Kinsley says her father is grooming her son to be his successor."

"Could be Frankie's closer to his grandfather's dream than his mother is aware of. Maybe his father found out."

"What do we do now?" Hodgins asked.

xx

After she'd been put back in her room, Brennan waited a minute to make sure no one would come back in before she tempted reaching for the item Zack had passed her and Angela. When she pulled it out, she paused. It was a walkie-talkie. Where he'd gotten that and how remained a mystery. She looked back to the door again, hesitating only an instant more before she turned it on.

"Anyone there?" Zack's voice sounded, and she hurried to turn down the volume. A second later, Angela's voice joined Zack's.

"I'm here." Brennan held down a button.

"I'm here too." She released the button, hearing Zack's sigh of relief.

"Zack, where did you these?" Angela asked before Brennan could.

"In the cabinet." There was a pause before he went further. "Last Christmas, when we were quarantined in here, I just thought if it ever happened again... it could be fun."

"Once again, weird pays off," Angela replied with a laugh in her voice.

"We have to be careful with these, we can't be caught," Brennan pointed out.

"Yeah..." Angela replied. "So what has Booth told you?" Brennan told them all she knew - about the victim and about his family. When the Grassi angle came up, it brought along an aspect they would have prefered not having to deal with.

"What's the assumption here?" Angela asked. "Frank says he's being framed, but why would they do that?"

"Maybe Grassi figures this as incentive. Wouldn't be the first time family becomes a target to convince someone to do something," Brennan explained.

"How do we know he's telling the truth? We did catch them trying to steal the body," Angela pointed out.

"If we can figure out what happened to Franklin Sr, we'll know," Brennan went on.

"I think we already know that... he got burned..." Angela cut in, the scent of it suddenly omnipresent. "I know what you'll say, it's not what killed him," she added before either of them could pipe in.

"Isn't there going to be a problem?" Zack spoke.

"Like what?" Brennan asked.

"Angela's the one with Kinsley's remains." There was a collective silence over the air.

"I think I know where this is going, and I am NOT liking it," Angela spoke at last.

"Ang, you have to," Brennan tried. "You want to get out of here, don't you?" she prodded.

"Can't we try to get them to switch us rooms? Then you or Zack could be with the body and you can do your thing," Angela knew she was grasping at straws, but in her eyes it was better than grasping at a charred body.

"They'll never go for it. All it'll do is make them suspicious," Brennan denied her. There was more silence.

"You know, I'm all for working outside the box, getting out of your element and trying things, but this is pushing it." Brennan could hear in her voice though that she was 'stepping up to the plate'. She smiled and nodded to herself.

"Get some gloves."

"Try and stop me," Angela scoffed. There was silence for half a minute before she returned. "Done."

"Okay, just look at the surface for now, see if there's anything visible to the naked eye," Brennan instructed. She'd have to make this work for Angela. It wasn't going to be comfortable at all for her, but she didn't want to overwhelm her either.

"Should we be taking notes?" Zack asked after Brennan stopped talking.

"No paper trail. Not that it would be harder to explain away than what you two are having me do," Angela cut in.

"She's right. Just keep listening," Brennan told Zack.

"Okay."

x

"It's barbaric, it's... I can't believe it. Honestly, the way people live sometimes..." Hodgins walked with a decisive annoyance in his every expression. "Look at this!" he held the offensive item up to Goodman's face. Goodman flinched and blinked, stepping back enough that he didn't have it perched an inch from his nose.

"It appears adequate," Goodman pointed out.

"This? This is not adequate, it's antique!"

"I realize you're worried about Miss Montenegro, but I assure you these are all fine tools."

"Yeah, if you say so," Hodgins huffed, grabbing the samples from the cave.

"Everything alright here?" Goodman turned to find Booth had joined them.

"Fine," Hodgins groaned.

"Dr. Hodgins misses the Jeffersonian," Goodman explained as he turned back.

"Did you find anything?" Booth stepped up.

"At this rate?" Hodgins nudged at one of the 'antiques' disapprovingly. "Not yet..." he sighed.

"Well..." Booth placed two files on the table in front of Goodman. "I have some information, although I don't know if it'll help."

"What is it?" Goodman asked.

"James Perry, Ethan James," Booth opened the files. "Unlike their pal Frank, these two aren't so pristine. Ethan James, Danielle Kinsley's fiance, did two years, Jim Perry did four." He looked up to the others. "That's how they met. They shared a cell."

"What kind of offenses are we talking about?" Goodman asked, looking at the open files.

"The kind that tells me if Frank Kinsley wasn't working for his grandfather, these two sure were."

x

"What do you see?" Brennan asked.

"Not a lot." There was a pause. "Looks like Kinsley's son is talking with his sister," Zack reported. Brennan looked up, aware that this meant they were right outside her door. She backed up a little, turned down the volume a little more.

"Angela?" Brennan asked.

"I'm looking," she promised. "Don't know what I'm looking for, but... wait..." Brennan and Zack paused.

"What is it?" Brennan prodded.

"I think... I see a mark, on the side of the skull." She went on to describe it as much as she could.

"Zack?"

"I'll see if I can think of something," he responded.

"It sounds like someone hit him, either to get him to stop struggling, or just to get him down before he saw what was coming for him. Can't confirm that that's what killed him."

"But it's something. I'll keep looking," Angela appeared to be filled with new confidence at this discovery.

"Good," Brennan nodded. She looked up when she heard a jiggle at the door. "Going silent," she hurried to turn the talkie off and hide it before Frank walked in. He gave her a look, closed the door behind himself.

"This probably isn't how you saw this day go, is it?"

"No..." Brennan remained calm.

"Same here. I sure didn't think I'd be looking at my father... that way... but here we are."

"You two were close?" Brennan tempted. Frank looked at her.

"Very. So you can imagine I'm not too pleased to be in this predicament. If my father was alive, he'd tell you... I wouldn't do this."

"Accidents happen."

"Not where my father's involved."

"Why won't you let us do our job then? If you're innocent, we can prove it, catch the people that really killed him."

"Because I can hear you talk and talk about how good you are - that's theory. But then there's the fact - the fact that these other people are very good at what they do. I go with what I know, end of story. May not make much sense to you, but I can live with that."

"I can vouch for you, say no one was harmed... if you let us go..." Frank smiled to himself, shaking his head. He sat on a bench, looking to Brennan.

"You know, you kind of remind me of him sometimes. Always trying to prove something. He'd tell me that no matter what, I could always take control of whatever situation I was in, make it right..." There was an air of sadness in his eyes, solitude... "He didn't deserve this happening to him. He was a good man. Worked his whole life to protect us - my mother, my sister and me..."

"What would he think about this?"

He didn't speak for a moment, just staring at the gun in his hand. Brennan's heart felt like it beat so hard it crashed at her ribcage with every up beat. She kept her eyes on that gun too, unsure if he'd raise it to her, to himself... He did neither. He got up and left the room. Brennan let out a breath, running a hand through her hair.

After a moment, she retrieved the walkie-talkie. "I'm back."

"What happened?" Angela asked worriedly.

"Kinsley's son came in," she explained. After a pause, she went on. "I'm not completely sure, but... I don't think he did it. I think he's innocent."

"Did he tell you that?" Angela asked.

"Well... yeah..." she admitted.

"He could have lied," Zack suggested.

"True, but I don't think he was. It's hard to explain," Brennan sighed.

"Uh... guys... I think I see something," Angela spoke a moment later.

"What is it?" Brennan asked.

"I'm not sure, it's all kind of a mess, but... there's... holes. They're elongated, kind of like..."

"Stab marks..." Zack completed.

"Could the mark on his head have been made by the knife's hilt?" Brennan asked, looking about.

"It's a definite possibility," Zack agreed.

"He was facing his attacker..." Angela sighed. "Whoever killed him... they looked him right in the eye, saw him die..."

"Angela, you're doing so good," Brennan tried to encourage her.

"Thanks..." she replied somewhat flatly. "I really hope you're right about Kinsley's son..."

x

"We should wait until after he calls again before we go in there," Hodgins told Booth as they walked up the stairs toward the address they had.

"We don't have time to waste. In this case we'll have to just go for it. He doesn't need to know we're searching his place." Mrs. Kinsley had agreed to this, on the insistance that this would give them proof her son was innocent. "Just be careful, alright?" he told the two of them. Hodgins had dropped his experiments the moment Booth had said he was heading to Frank's apartment.

Booth opened the door and the three of them walked in. The place was relatively normal. Whatever wealth might come along with being the grandson of Robert Grassi, it didn't appear as though Frank Kinsley had put any of it toward home decoration.

"Okay, take a room, look for... anything..." It was clear that there was a problem about all this - they were incomplete. There was the fact they had to keep the peril their friends were in as a factor, but then there was also that they couldn't have access to all the facts, the ones that rested with the body of Franklin Sr.

Hodgins and Goodman went down the hall as Booth began going through the living room. Hodgins went into what appeared to be office space, while Goodman went into the bedroom. The room was simplistic, same as what he'd seen outside this room so far. There was a large picture on the wall. He immediately recognized the people in it.

The picture must have been taken approximately eight or nine years ago. Franklin and Tina Kinsley sat on the beach, in front of a warmly lit white beach house. Lying stomach down on the sand before them, smiling up at the camera, were Frank and Danielle, looking about 15 and 13 respectively. They looked happy, united... the model little family. For the briefest of moments, he wondered if they were following the wrong path, if they were making a mistake. He didn't let it linger, knowing they all had to focus on the task at hand.

He heard a noise and turned around. For that, he saw movement from the crack between the door to the bathroom and the ground - someone was inside. He thought about alerting Booth, but instead approached the door. Slowly he pushed the door open. He gasped, just as startled as the girl he found cowering inside.

"I-it's alright... I'm with the FBI. That is, I'm assisting them. I won't harm you. I'm Dr. Daniel Goodman. What's your name?" he didn't take a step.

"Tasha... Tasha Morgan."

"Miss Morgan, if you wouldn't mind me asking... What is your relationship to the young man who lives here?" She blinked, looking about. She looked on edge. Finally, she took a step.

"He's my boyf... ex-boyfriend... We broke up last night. I was just getting my things together while he's not here..."

"Alright. Why don't you come with me, I believe Agent Booth will want to speak with you." She hesitated.

"Frank's not here, is he?" Fear flashed through her eyes, unsettling Goodman.

"No, no... I can assure you of that." She slowly worked up a nod.

"Good. I don't think I could..." She raised her arms up to wrap around herself. When she did, Dr. Goodman spotted bruises at her upper arms. He looked to her face, and he noticed she seemed to be wearing a heavy amount of makeup. He felt chills.

"Miss Morgan, you..." Her eyes grew wide.

"Please... don't tell?"

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 5: Guilty & Innocent

**CHAPTER 5 - Guilty & Innocent**

"Here..." Booth returned from the kitchen with a glass of water for Tasha, who now sat next to Goodman on the living room couch. Hodgins stood nearby, looking at the girl and trying to stop his mind from connecting the images of the girl's bruises and Angela. Booth handed the glass to Goodman, who handed it to Tasha.

"When did this happen, last night?" he asked her.

"You're FBI?" Tasha asked Booth. He nodded. "W-why are you here?"

"Tasha..." Goodman tried to make her look at him. She did, blinking.

"Sorry..."

"It's alright... Can you tell us how..."

"I-I don't... If he finds out..." she worked herself up again.

"This stays between us, I promise," Goodman shook his head. Tasha looked on the verge of tears. "Did he do this to you? Frank?" She remained silent for a while, watching the swishing of the water.

"It's my fault, I..."

"It is not your fault," Goodman assured her. She looked up at him. "Was this the first time?" Her eyes welled up again.

"I couldn't leave him, he... he said no one would love me like he did... No one would want me... But then..."

"What changed?" Booth asked. Before Tasha could speak, his phone rang. "Work," he lied, excusing himself.

"I got scared... He'd always been a certain way, but... lately... He got more forceful, more... intense. I'd try calling him but I'd get his voicemail or it'd be busy. When I'd ask him about it, he'd say it was none of my business. I'd hear him talk on the phone... Lately it'd all be about his father." She looked to Goodman, to Hodgins. "You... you know about his family?" They nodded. "When I found out, I asked him if he worked with them. He said no. But last night, I... I found... weapons, in the garage. When he got home, I... I told him I was leaving."

"And this happened?" She nodded, weeping. "You did good."

In the kitchen, Booth had answered his phone. Before he could say a word, Brennan spoke. "They're listening..." He froze.

"Mr. Booth. I assume you know my name by now? I'm sure the FBI's gotten its paws in the game despite my warnings? So tell me my name."

He didn't know he was FBI himself - at least that was what he was made to understand.

"Frank Kinsley," he replied.

"Congratulations. I thought it was time we spoke further so that you may understand - the bomb threat wasn't just a ruse. You might want to make sure the feds don't screw up and get your girl blown to bits. It'd be a real shame."

"You sure love to talk, don't you?" Booth tried not to let Frank get him worked up. He couldn't tell Brennan about Tasha, warn her about Frank... and it only made him angrier.

"I'm sorry, did you two want to talk? Go ahead..."

"Are you okay?" Booth asked Brennan after a moment.

"We're okay," she confirmed.

"And you know what to do if you want to be able to ask her again in an hour." He hung up.

When Brennan was alone again, she had to replay the conversation in her head. She hadn't taken her eyes off Frank for a second, looking past what he wanted his face to say, looking to what his features might have wanted to hide. She could almost see something, though she wasn't completely sure of what it was.

When he'd come to get her, he'd just barged in. It was a good thing she'd hidden her walkie-talkie in anticipation of 'call time'. He'd looked at her for a moment almost like he was begging for a solution. Then he'd said they'd be listening in on the call. This posed two problems for her. First off, Booth couldn't tell her if he'd found out anything new. And in return, she couldn't tell him about what they had discovered from the body. She just held on to the fact that at least she got to speak with him. It was something.

x

When Booth returned to the living room, Tasha looked up. "Is there somewhere we can take you, someone you'd feel safe with?"

"M-my... my sister is coming to pick me up," she explained.

After Tasha was sent off with her sister, the three men stood in Frank's living room, looking at each other. "What else did she tell you?" Booth spoke first.

"Changes in behavior, secrecy, weapons. Nothing that inspires confidence," Goodman explained.

"I got that as well. Kinsley tagged along this call. He wanted to make sure we remember there's a bomb. Also I don't think he knows I'm FBI, which could end up being good or bad... I didn't get to tell her..."

The room hung in silence. "How do we proceed?" Goodman finally asked. Booth remained silent for a moment.

"My gut would say we go in, try and take down Kinsley..."

"But..." Hodgins prodded.

"She didn't want us coming in, still hasn't said otherwise. Anyone else, I'd say they might be coerced. Not her. I trust her judgement." He paused, looking down. After a moment, he looked back up. "So we keep doing what we've been doing."

x

"That makes no sense."

"Zack, I'm just telling you what I see. I'd gladly show you, but there's this matter of being locked and guarded," Angela shook her head. "I'm explaining it the best way I can, alright?"

Each time Brennan had been forced to go 'radio silent', they couldn't help being on edge, unaware of how she was.

"Angela, Zack?" they suddenly heard.

"You're back," Angela sighed in relief, looking up at the ceiling.

"I didn't get to tell or learn anything, they put me on speaker," she explained. She left out the part about the bomb, knowing it would stress them more and they didn't need that.

"Dr. Brennan, we found something," Zack announced.

"What?"

"I tried explaining it to Zack, but that didn't work," Angela explained.

"Try me," Brennan shrugged. Angela did so.

"I don't know if that helps..."

"Maybe, but... I'd need to see it."

"How are we supposed to do that?"

"The bathroom!" Zack suddenly announced.

"Excuse me?" Angela asked.

"Are you able to remove the part without damaging it?"

"Are you serious?"

"Angela!"

"Okay!" she paused. "Yeah, I think so."

"Do it, wrap it up, say you have to go to the bathroom. Leave it there..."

"And then I get it..." Brennan caught on. "Angela?"

"Even if I say no, you'll just go on until I say yes," she sighed. "Okay, hold on." Angela put down the walkie-talkie. Brennan instructed her on the removal. "Got it... this better work."

After turning off and hiding the walkie-talkie, Angela placed the wrapped part inside her coat before removing her gloves and going to the door, knocking and waiting. A few seconds later, Jim opened the door.

"I need to go to the bathroom. I promise I'll be quick." He hesitated for a moment, finally motioning for her to follow him. As she did, she looked around. She saw Ethan and Danielle guarding Zack and Brennan's doors. They were right there, and yet... She saw Frank, sitting in the stairs to the platform. At this point, she was fairly close to Brennan's belief that he was innocent. She hoped it stayed that way. If not for the outcome it indicated toward their getting out of there unharmed, she hated the thought of how Franklin Sr would have felt, realizing his own son had taken it upon himself to end his life.

When she got in bathroom, she went into the stall, letting out a breath she'd been holding since she'd turned off the talkie. After a moment, she took out the part, crouching to hide it behind the toilet in the next stall over.

She really wanted to see Jack in that moment. He always made her feel so much more... And now she needed to be brave. As much as she'd been so strong up until then, she just feared it wouldn't be enough to get them through the rest of this day.

When she exited the stall, she washed her hands, upholding the ruse - a good thing as Jim pushed the door open a little. "Almost done?" he asked.

"Just washing my hands," she grabbed paper.

She was escorted back to her room, and much like Brennan had been doing, she waited a minute before getting back on the line.

"It's done," she announced.

"We'll wait ten minutes before I go. They might get suspicious if we all want to go at once," Brennan explained.

"Right," Angela nodded. "So..." she trailed. "What now?"

"I don't know..."

"Do you think they've called our families by now?" Angela wondered.

"Maybe..."

Brennan thought about her brother. After what had happened, finding their mother, hearing from their father... Burned bridges were in repair in some places, and she imagined Russ might be out in front of the Jeffersonian right about now, waiting on her to come out. Oddly enough, it made her feel better.

x

Russ Brennan wasn't outside the Jeffersonian, but he had been. Now, he sat in Booth's office. Hodgins and Goodman had left to give him and Booth the chance to talk. As it was, they had a plan in mind - one that required confidence on Russ' part.

"So she's okay?" Russ asked Booth right away. Booth had called him shortly after they'd found out what was going on. He'd arrived down to find the gathering before the lab in full swing.

When Booth told him about how they were investigating rather than rushing in, Russ was both glad and unsure. He made one thing clear - if they needed him, he wanted to help. So they'd called him.

"She's okay," Booth confirmed with a nod.

"You two..." he started. At Booth's look, "You've become a bit of a recurring topic in our conversations. Doesn't take a genius."

"Yeah..." Booth confirmed, sitting back. This whole time, he'd been trying to keep thinking with 'work brain', partner in trouble. But then there was the other side, the Partner, the girlfriend... And it took all he had not to go in all guns blazing. He'd never forgive himself if his actions got her killed...

"And that's why I trust you," Russ nodded. "What do you want me to do?"

"We need to get closer to this, get hard facts, something to work with."

"How do we do that?"

"You... If you could get an in, talk to people without the FBI hanging over their heads. Even if they hadn't seen me, when they do they see a cop. But with you..."

"They see a con..." Russ completed.

"Is that a problem?"

"If it'll help Tempe, I can deal."

"So you're in?" Russ nodded. "We won't send you on your own, you'll have someone backing you from close by."

"Alright," he nodded once more.

"I'm sending you in with Agent Jamie Drake. He's come down from Houston for a case your sister is helping on. I've contacted him, he's on board. We're hoping it'll allow for some... discretion."

"Okay."

"Just follow his lead. We're not trying to get in too deep. Plus if I get you in trouble, Bones'll kick my ass when she gets out."

x

"Okay, going now," Brennan turned off the walkie-talkie and hid it. She went to the door and knocked. Danielle opened the door.

"What do you want?"

"I need to go to the bathroom." Danielle sighed, turned to look at her brother. He nodded. Danielle turned back to Brennan, nodding.

"Come on."

Brennan and Danielle went off toward the bathroom. Unlike with Angela, she found herself with an escort into the bathroom. She could hear Danielle pacing outside the stall.

When she closed the door, Brennan leaned over to locate the item as Angela had said she'd hidden it. As she went to pull it, she spoke, hoping to mask any sound that might come along.

"I believe him, you know?" It took a few seconds for her to get a response.

"You should."

"You must really care for him, to do this..." she hid the item under her coat.

"He's my brother," Danielle replied simply.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," she thought of Russ again. She stood, using the flush to mask a final check for tells. As she exited, she caught the sadness in Danielle's eyes for the split second before she resumed her determined face. Brennan looked away, washing her hands before turning to her.

"Let's go."

They left the bathroom and started back toward her room. As they walked across the lab, she spotted the three guys arguing together. She frowned, wondering what this was all about. Danielle wouldn't allow her to lag of course, so they went on.

Alone again, Brennan took out the thing from inside her coat. She found a place to hide it for when she'd have 'visits'. Throwing a glance toward the door, she retrieved the talkie.

"I'm back. I got it." The words were barely out when Zack spoke up.

"Dr. Brennan, Angela's not responding." Her heart did a sudden pause.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean after you went silent, so did she. And she hasn't come back yet. Did you see..."

"Frank and the other men were arguing, I couldn't make out what they were saying..."

"What if something happened?" The thought alone was a nightmare.

"I'm sure it's nothing."

"How sure?" She closed her eyes.

"I don't know."

x

"You understand what you have to do?" Booth asked Russ as another agent was fixing a listening device to him.

"Yeah, I got it," Russ nodded. When the agent stood back, Russ looked down, waiting. Then...

"Mr. Brennan, can you hear me?" the drawling voice of Agent Drake rang in his ears.

"I can," Russ confirmed.

"Good," he stepped into Booth's office.

Jamie Drake was a gentleman, pure and simple. If he lacked in technique, he could be said to make up for it in charm. Luckily, he didn't lack - his technique was excellent.

"Russ Brennan, Jamie Drake," Booth introduced. The two shook hands. "You keep an eye on him, get him back in one piece," Booth instructed with the hint of a tease.

"I'll try," Drake nodded, somewhat amused. "Imagine that, I come to babysit some bones, and I end up on an undercover op in the Grassi family. Should be interesting."

"Call the moment you get something," Booth told Drake as he and Russ headed out.

He wanted to be able to do more in that capacity, but for now there was no chance. Hopefully, what he DID do would help give them a breakthrough.

He looked at the clock. Another twenty minutes and they should be getting another call. He just had to hope Frank wouldn't pull any other tricks on them like the last time.

He really hated knowing that Brennan was stuck in there with this guy. He knew how these things could evolve, or degenerate. With what they knew of him, it really didn't inspire any confidence. All it did was make Booth want to get his hands on him and give him everything he had coming to him.

He was taking the power away from him. That was another thing he couldn't bear.

_"No heroics to worry about,"_ Brennan's words echoed in his mind.

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 6: Strife & Clarity

**CHAPTER 6 - Strife & Clarity**

Russ walked into the bar, his face blank - nothing to hide as far as they knew. From what he'd been told, this was a popular hangout for the Grassi clan and those who dealt with them. He went to sit at the bar and waited. Soon, the girl behind the bar approached him.

"What can I get you?" He looked up, nodding to her smile.

"Beer," he requested.

"Beer it is," she nodded, getting him a bottle. "Anything else?"

"I'm good for now. If I need anything..." he hinted a smile.

"I'll be right here," she nodded and indicated the area behind the bar. Russ nodded back. The girl walked to stand a few steps away, seemingly not untouched by his presence.

"She might know something," Russ heard Drake's voice in his ear. He looked up toward the girl, and a moment later she'd sidled back to him with a smile.

"Yes?" she asked with laughter in her voice. He laughed back. "Can I interest you in a bowl of peanuts?"

"Maybe. But I was wondering if..." he indicated the television, which was presently off.

"Oh, sure!" she reached under the counter. "I'll even leave you the remote," she placed it before him. "I'll get you those peanuts."

"Thanks," he turned on the television, started clicking through the channels. The whole ride to DC, he heard report after report on the radio. With any hope, the television would be the same.

x

"Agent Booth?" He looked up to find Tina Kinsley standing at his door. He kept a straight face as he stood from his desk.

"Mrs. Kinsley..." He tried very hard to see her as widow-of-victim, and not as mother-of-murderer.

"I-I hope you don't mind my dropping in, I just couldn't..."

"It's alright," he assured her. "Please," he indicated one of the chairs. She sat and he did as well.

"I wanted to thank you... for keeping our names out of the media."

"Well we're doing our best," Booth nodded. "I can't guarantee we'll be able to keep your anonimity as things progress."

"I understand. I'm just hoping this can all be resolved before..."

"So do I," Booth promised. "Mrs. Kinsley, if there's any other information you could give us, it might help us make sure we can get your son and daughter out safely..."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Like... what could have led Frank to head in there the way he did, with his sister and the others..." She seemed to both hesitate and try to think at the same time. "We won't do anything hasty, but you're going to have to start being honest with us." Booth could see it in her eyes - the dilema, the sense of betrayal...

"Something's been on his mind, the last few weeks. I saw it... I tried to help him... he'd say 'I'm okay, don't worry so much'..." She smiled sadly. "He's my son, you know?"

"I do," he nodded, thinking of Parker. She saw that, nodded with him. "Is there anyone he'd confide in? Other than his sister, Ethan, or Jim?"

"His father..." her tears resurfaced.

x

"He'll come soon..." Brennan looked at the clock.

"What are you going to do?" Zack asked.

"I don't know," she tried not to sound desperate. "Can't just tip our hand, there could be an explanation..."

They hadn't heard a word from Angela in nearly forty minutes.

"What if..."

"Zack, I don't know," she closed her eyes. "I'll be back." She turned off the walkie talkie and hid it, sighing in the silence. She hadn't even looked at the item they'd gone through so much trouble to get to her. They'd both been waiting, trying to get a response from Angela. But none had come.

When Frank came in, she kept a firm face. "Okay, show time," he took out the phone and held it out to her.

"No."

"What?" he blinked.

"Why don't you take it to the others, like Angela... They'd like to hear from her too." He frowned, looking at her. "I'm not kidding."

"I make the rules..." She didn't budge. "Fine." He dialed. When Booth answered, Frank looked at Brennan while he spoke. "Your girl's being difficult, so she's not getting her call. But she's okay, they're okay. Hopefully she'll be more reasonable in an hour," he hung up.

"Full of solutions..." Brennan commented.

"Look, I'm being as understanding as I can here. How about we keep it that way?" He left the room, and Brennan shuddered. She didn't know what to think anymore.

Turning back, she approached the drawer, pulling out the walkie-talkie and the package from Angela.

"Zack, anything?" she asked as she got back.

"No. You?"

"Nevermind. Just hold. I'm opening the part Angela sent.

"Right," he replied, as though he was suddenly remembering it.

As she looked it over, she tried to remember the way Angela had been trying to describe this before. "Zack, how tall was Franklin Sr?"

"Five seven," he replied.

"How tall is Frank?"

"Five ten, I'd say."

"So would I... Zack, I think we have our proof. Frank didn't kill his father. Whoever did, they'd be... five eight... oh..." she paused.

"The other two men are about five eight, aren't they?" he spoke what was on her mind.

"Take the heels off, so is Danielle... So we eliminated one suspect..."

"And got three more," Zack completed.

x

"No confirmation on the number of hostages or hostage takers, but what is certain is the FBI has yet to make a move..." the reporter went on, looking every bit like she'd been practicing in her mirror for the day she'd finally get this big of a story.

Russ stared up at the screen, looking the opposite of someone who had a stake in the matter. It seemed to work for the girl behind the bar, as he looked at her and then the screen again.

"Wouldn't want to be there..." he shook his head.

"No doubt," she took the two steps back to be in front of him again. "What's your name?"

"Lie," Drake spoke in his ear.

"Kyle," Russ replied.

"Joanna," she indicated herself. "You know, this kind of thing happens, quiets the place right up," she indicated the room.

"Yeah?" he nodded.

"Oh yeah..." Russ looked around.

"Seems pretty chatty to me. What does that mean?" he looked back at her. That got her faltering in the smiling a little bit. "Did I say something?"

"No, no..." she tried to brush it off. It got past Russ, but not Drake.

"She knows something, definitely. See if you can get her talking, otherwise we'll bring her in." Russ shifted on his seat, giving her a look as though to ask 'really?' She smiled, chuckled lightly.

"Man of intuition, uh?"

"A little," Russ played.

"You're not from around here, are you?"

"Not really. But if you're asking if I know about your regulars..." She nodded. "What's this have to do with it?" She looked at him, almost like she was going to talk, but then didn't.

"I need to get more beer for the fridge," she headed for the back.

"She could be trying to run. See if you can slow her, I'm coming around," Russ was on his feet before Drake was even done.

"Can I give you a hand? She stopped, turned back to him with a half-smirk.

"How generous... Don't worry, I'm stronger than I look."

"I don't doubt it," Russ nodded.

"Thanks," Joanna nodded along before heading for the back. Russ watched her go before returning to the bar. He took a drink from his bottle, put it down and walked out of the bar.

In the back, Joanna headed for the door, grabbing her phone. When she pushed the door, she came face to face with Drake. "Hello," he nodded.

"What the..."

"Can we talk?" he flashed his ID. She blinked, took a step back. "You're not in any trouble, we just want to talk."

"Fine," she sighed after a moment.

x

"We searched the whole apartment, if Frank Kinsley built a bomb, he didn't do it there," Booth paced. Dr. Goodman stood by, watching Hodgins working on the samples again. He'd been all over the place, trying to help for Angela's sake, and now he was finding it was definitely the right course.

"Well, these won't help," he threw out his gloves. "There's nothing here that'll tell us anything except the kind of fuel that was used, and it's not even anything special." He paused, shaking his head. "This isn't helping, and neither are we. What are we doing?"

"Look, Hodgins..." Booth started.

"Hey, I trust Dr. Brennan too, and I know she's saying to hang back, but in case you've forgotten she doesn't have all the facts." Booth approached him.

"I know that. You understand - you're not the only one with a girlfriend trapped in there." Silent set as realization reached Hodgins and Goodman. Booth kept a strong face. "I'd appreciate your discretion. Now I'm trying to find a way to get everyone out of there unharmed. It'll go much better if I have you two on my side." Goodman nodded, then Hodgins. Booth nodded back.

"I still believe we can afford to be just a hint more proactive," Hodgins went on.

"Any suggestions?" Booth asked.

Hodgins looked determined. "Actually..."

x

"Joanna Grassi... imagine that," Agent Drake sat before her in the interrogation room.

"I don't know," she shrugged.

"Well what DO you know? I'm particularly interested in anything you might have on the situation down at the Jeffersonian Institute."

"There's... a hostage crisis..." she spoke as though it was silly that she'd even have to say it. Drake gave her an obliged smile.

"Come on now, you and I both know you're a smart girl, and you know more than that."

"Like what?" she asked, exasperated.

"Like how your cousins, Frank and Danielle, are two of the people in there... and I'm not talking hostages. Like how your uncle Franklin is in there as well - or what's left of him is..." She remained silent.

"So that guy... he's with you?" she finally spoke, looking up at Drake.

"What guy?" he played ignorance like a pro.

"Uh-huh," Joanna nodded.

"Look, I meant what I said, you won't get in trouble. But if you keep stalling, I might have to change my mind." She pondered.

"What do you want to know?" she sat back, at ease. Drake leaned forward an inch or two.

"Do you know why they went into the Jeffersonian?" Joanna made to think.

"I didn't know they'd be taking hostages. But then I'm not in the loop, so who knows? Might have been his intention, might not..."

"Tell me about Frank," Drake went on.

"What's there to say... He's quite the talk in the family. The successor..." she set the title.

"How does he feel about that?"

"He could be 'the real deal'. That doesn't impress him, but then that's sort of the point, isn't it?"

"Is he dangerous?" Drake asked.

"When he wants something... best not to cross him."

"Does he want the job?" Joanna smiled.

x

"Can you get it or not?" Hodgins spoke into the phone, looking up and seeing Booth and Goodman looking back at him. "Dory, Dory... listen... I need to know if you can..." He smiled. "I would never doubt your capabilities, I'd never live it down. You know where to reach me." He hung up. "Won't be long."

"Who is this woman?" Goodman asked.

"An old friend."

"An old friend... with connections," Booth added.

"Which we will never speak of," Hodgins pointed a finger at Booth, then Goodman.

"Hey..." the three looked up to find Russ standing at the door.

"How'd it go?" Booth asked.

"Agent Drake is talking to a woman, she works at the bar."

"What's her place in all this?"

"Her name's Joanna Grassi, another grandchild..." Booth's brow furrowed.

"I know that name..." he spoke under his breath. The others looked over at him. He turned to his computer, putting in a search.

"Booth?" Hodgins asked. There was a beep as the results scrolled on the screen. He froze.

"Oh my God..." he bolted from his chair, heading out of his office. It took a moment, but soon the other three were scrambling after him.

x

Brennan and Zack hadn't heard from Angela now for nearly an hour and a half. As much as Brennan wanted to keep things hidden, the thought of allowing this state of ignorance to go on didn't sit well with her at all.

"If we can find a way..." She sighed. "We need to try and find a way to find out what's going on over there without losing our progress."

"And if we can't do that?" Zack had to ask.

"Then screw progress." There was silence, but she knew he agreed.

"What about the ventilation system, if we can get in there..."

"Even if it wasn't that we don't fit... it wouldn't work."

"Guess not..." he admitted. "We could try asking to see her..."

"But..." she sensed.

But what if they found her... That was really what bothered her, and she knew it deep down. She kept telling herself she was responsible, and really she was in a way.

It kept running through her mind - what would have happened if they'd just run out... Frank would have still found Angela, and she would have been sole hostage... On that scenario, they were better off with reality.

And the reality was that she'd halted rescue. She'd told Booth not to come in. If she hadn't done that, maybe they WOULD have been out by now. But Frank? What would have happened to him?

Could she really exchange one destiny for another? Angela was her friend, her confidant, her voice of reason where her knowledge lacked, the sister she never had... Did it mean...

She frowned, feeling a headache come on. Why did she have to even go there? Things were complicated enough as they were. All she wanted now was to make sure her friend was safe.

"Dr. Brennan?" Zack called her back to attention.

"S-sorry, I, uh... I was just thinking." She blinked. "We go in. Make them let us see her, or..."

"Brennan?"

She froze, feeling both a rush of relief and of dread. Something wasn't right, her voice...

"Angela, you're back..." she almost cried, sitting down.

"Are you okay?" Zack asked.

"I-I, uh... I don't... I don't know... Did you... did you get it?" Brennan blinked. She didn't know...

"I did... over an hour ago." There was a pause.

"W-what?" a panic rose in her tone.

"You don't remember?"

"I... my head hurts, and I..." There was more silence. "Oh..."

"Angela..."

"I was on the ground, and I-I woke up... ow... Brennan, there's blood... not a lot, but..."

"It's going to be okay," she promised her, even though she didn't feel so brave.

"Someone did this..." Angela's voice shuddered.

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 7: Veiled & Revealed

**CHAPTER 7 - Veiled & Revealed**

Brennan wanted nothing more than to be there for her friend, make sure she was okay. But she couldn't, and that infuriated her. In that moment, she really didn't care what happened - let them barge in for all she cared.

"Angela, can you stand?" she asked her. "If you can get some water..."

"Working on it," Angela replied. "Okay, sitting and drinking," she reported a moment later.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"Yeah, I think so," she was starting to sound better. "You don't suppose they have aspirin around? she groaned.

"I don't know..."

"Guess it wouldn't be very useful in here, not like Mr. Kinsley will need it..." Hearing her joke around was much more of a relief than she would have imagined.

"Did you see who did this?" Zack jumped in.

"Uh... no. After you left, Brennan... I thought I heard someone coming, so I hid the walkie talkie, I covered up the body in case they noticed something was missing. When I heard the door, it was closing... didn't even hear it open. I went to turn around, but then..."

"I saw them arguing before..." Brennan wondered if they all knew. But then... "Whoever did this, they don't want to be known... if we find out, we might have our killer."

"What about Frank, did you..."

"You got us the proof, he's innocent," Brennan smiled.

"Good," Angela laughed lightly. "Ow..."

"But now we can almost definitely say it's one of the other three," Zack explained. "Do you see anything..."

"So now I have to examine myself?" Angela guessed.

"Take your time," Brennan nodded to herself.

"Okay, hold on..." The wait was slightly agonizing. What if she disappeared again? Thankfully, she came back after three minutes or so. "It was him... the one who killed Franklin Sr..." she announced, sounding spooked again.

"Are you sure?" Brennan asked.

"There's a bruise coming at my side," she explained. "It looks like the mark from the skull."

x

Booth ran down the hall, sidestepping people as best as he could. He could hear the pack running a short distance behind him, but he couldn't stop to explain to them.

He arrived at the interrogation room, throwing the door open. When he did, he found his discovery confirmed. "Agent Booth?" Drake stood, puzzled. Booth paid no attention to him. His attention was squarely given to the girl sitting at the table. She, in turn, kept her eyes locked on him as well. The look on her face was hardly pleased.

"So you're Joanna Grassi? That's funny, the last time we met, you told me it was Tasha Morgan. You don't look so frail now..."

Joanna Grassi was very swift. In one move, she stood and managed to unholster Agent Drake's gun, pointing it at him. Booth pointed his own gun up at her.

"Hey, easy," Booth told her.

"So did you like my little sob story?" she asked with a pout and downcast eyes.

"Riveting," Booth replied.

"Booth?" Drake spoke up. "If you don't mind..."

"I don't mind at all..." Drake nodded, and a moment later he'd snatched the gun back from Joanna. He was swift too.

"Face to the wall, hands behind your head," Drake instructed her. She did so, smirking. Drake cuffed her before planting her back in her chair. She looked up and smiled.

"Hey Kyle..." Booth and Drake looked up to see Russ, Hodgins, and Goodman standing at the door. Joanna waved, somehow.

"Okay." Booth closed the door, making Joanna look up at him. "You've been lying to me, to Agent Drake, and I have a problem with that, see, because there's some people I've been trying to help and your little games have been sending us into all the wrong directions."

"That was kind of the point..." she smiled. Booth got right up in her face.

"It ends now. What do you know about the death of Franklin Kinsley Sr?"

"It was nice and warm..."

"Do you practice the creepy act? You're giving me the chills," Drake played.

"So we've had a lot of ideas run by us about your cousin, many of them by you... many of them false," Booth went on.

"Well, you're a smart one, aren't you..." Joanna laughed.

"Okay, this is getting us nowhere," Booth turned to Drake. "See if you can get anything out of her that's useful?" Drake nodded as Booth left, turning back to Joanna and her creepy smile.

Out in the hall, Booth met up with three anxious men. "Booth..." Hodgins spoke up first.

"We may have to reset our investigation. One thing's for sure, our facts don't stand anymore."

"What are you going to do now?" Russ asked.

"We're going to see about getting something real, starting with Tasha Morgan... the real one."

"You think she exists?" Hodgins asked.

"I'm positive."

x

"We need to do something. It may have been justified to lay low before, but now it'll only hurt us," Brennan told Angela and Zack.

"Okay, what's the plan?" Angela asked.

"No plan yet, you have to recover a little, relax."

"Now what's that going to accomplish?"

"More than you'd know..." She couldn't stand being unable to verify the state she was in. If she was hit on the head, she could have a concussion. As far as she was concerned, they were better off planning this with all factors on track.

"Just tell me you have a plan..."

"Working on it."

x

"What's this?" Booth asked as a file was handed to him. He opened it, and his eyes closed. He paged through it for a moment before going back to his desk. "Okay, well... Tasha Morgan is a real person."

"Good," Hodgins nodded.

"Who died two years ago."

"Not good," Hodgins corrected.

"Maybe, maybe not." Booth looked back at the file. "Tasha Morgan's case remains unsolved."

"Murder?" Goodman asked.

"Yeah... So let's go talk to the parents," Booth addressed Hodgins and Goodman. "Stay here, in case Agent Drake needs you again," he told Russ, who nodded. He wouldn't have been able to bring him along either way, but that was beside the point. Russ was more in this - as far as Booth was concerned - than may have been otherwise allowed.

Tasha's parents, as they found out through the ride over, were definitely not the people you'd see tied to the Grassi family. As it was, the only connection was Frank, her boyfriend of five years. And when they met them, they were given information much closer to Mrs. Kinsley than Joanna or her grandfather.

"Mrs. Morgan, we need to know whatever you can tell us about Frank Kinsley, your daughter's boyfriend.

At the mention of his name, the grief still present on the woman's face seemed to take in some peace. That unsettled the three men, although not for the usual reasons. This whole day, they'd been working under the assumption that Franklin Kinsley Jr was a fearsome killer, an abuser and a crime boss in the making. But here in this woman's face, he was coming off as a man of kindness and good.

"After losing Tasha, we all had such a hard time. Frank loved her so much, and she loved him... In a way, she got to be a son to us. He's remained a part of our lives, and we are a part of his. Sometimes he'll call and I can hear it in his voice... He needs to hear from us, because he wants to remember Tasha, and when she was still with us."

"Did something happen?" Mr. Morgan spoke up. "There has to be, why else would you be here?" Booth looked to Hodgins and Goodman - he didn't want to taint their image of this man they'd entitled as their son.

"Mr. Kinsley's father was found murdered this morning." The Morgans reacted, Mr. Morgan taking hold of his wife's hand. "We're looking for information that may help us catch his killer."

"Of course, if we can help," Mr. Morgan nodded, matched by his wife.

When they left the Morgans' home, the three men found themselves at a virtual crossroads.

"Not to sound repetitive, but... what now?" Hodgins asked.

"They'll call soon. I need to make sure I can get the message to them one way or another - things are about to change.

x

"Do you really have a bomb?" Frank paused at Brennan's greeting. He closed the door.

"You really want to know?"

"Why would you do that? The way I see it, you were coming in here to get the bones, not this... So why..."

"I'm a complicated guy," he shrugged.

"No, you're not. You've been trying to fool everyone all day, thinking you're this tough guy with a gun, but the thing is I can tell you're really not. What's worse is you're making others suffer for it, like Angela, and for what?"

"Woah, hold up..." he interrupted her. "Why am I getting the feeling..." He blinked. "What have you..." Brennan interrupted him, stepping up.

"I want to see her, and Zack, right now. We've played your hand for hours, we deserve that much." It took all she had not to mention she knew he was innocent. So long as it remained an uncertainty, the killer in their midst would not be enticed to act up in any way that would mean more trouble.

Frank looked at her for a moment, trying to decide how to handle this. "Your guy's going to wonder about the delay," he turned the phone around in his hands.

"I can deal with that." Another pause followed, but finally Frank opened the door.

"Let's go see your friends." They walked out of the room. As they cross Danielle, the siblings shared a look. As they continued, Frank signaled for Ethan to bring out Zack. At Angela's room, Jim stepped back. Frank opened the door and let her through, not yet looking in.

When Brennan walked in, her eyes darted to the blood stain on the ground and up to Angela, sitting on a stool against the wall. When Angela saw her, she breathed in relief. "Brennan..." she stood, walking semi-steadily up to her. Brennan, in turn, half-caught her up as they hugged in a release of the worry they'd had to feel in the last hours.

"How are you feeling? How's your head?" she cried, pulling back to look at her head. She found the point where she'd been hit soon enough.

"Careful, don't poke it," Angela instructed, so glad to have her there at last.

At the door, Frank finally looked in, and when he realized Angela's attack, he looked genuinely stricken. Brennan looked up at him. "So you say you're complicated, explain that."

"I didn't do that," he insisted.

"Well then who did?"

He didn't respond, instead turning to walk toward the rest of his group. Brennan and Angela walked just out of their room, soon joined by a relieved Zack. Angela gave him a smile to assure him she was okay.

Frank looked to his sister, his friends. "Who..." he asked. None of them spoke. "We said no one would get hurt. Did you all forget that?" Still nothing.

"I told you it wouldn't work," Danielle finally looked at her brother.

"Danielle..."

"No, it's stupid," she shook her head, turning to Brennan and the others. "Want to hear his master plan he thought up in all of five seconds? He wanted you to figure out who killed our father. Right here, right now. He figures, scare you up a little, watch as you up a little, watch as you have no other option but find his answer, no waiting." She turned back to her brother, away from the stunned trio. "Ever stop to think what this mean for the rest of us? You just figure we'll follow blindly... Dad idolized you, our grandfather idolizes you... Mom, the Morgans... All that you tried to do... Did you ever stop to think what it was doing to me? I ought to just..." she pulled a gun from her back, pointing it at Frank.

"Dani, what are you doing?" Ethan spoke up, taking a step.

"Apparently this is the only way to make you pay attention," she didn't falter.

"You don't want to do that," Brennan found herself joining the circle as they all stood on edge. By reflex, Angela and Zack followed.

"Stay out of this," Danielle replied.

"Dani... please tell me you didn't..." Frank shook his head.

"What, kill Dad? You think I'm that far gone?" she cried.

"You're pointing a gun at me," he indicated. "Look, we'll just forget this ever happened. Put it down."

"Come on, you know they're right," Jim joined in.

"Stop!" Danielle insisted pointedly.

The next few seconds would be nothing but a blur to all.

x

_"Where?" Booth asked one of the cops who'd found the body. He pointed. "Of course..." he muttered under his breath. He looked down the muddy slope, looked to his shoes. He spotted a woman squatting near the bottom of the slope, back to turned to him. "Excuse me," he called to her. She didn't reply. "FBI," he tried._

_"Can you bring my bag, it's somewhere up there," she pointed back without turning. Her voice sounded like she was much more focused on what lay before her than the man she was ordering around. Booth stood there for a moment, nonplussed. The woman turned her head, using her hand to shade her eyes from the morning sun. "Hi... Bag, please?" Booth finally looked and spotted the bag. He picked it up, observed the muddy slope once again. "Don't even think about throwing it."_

_"Ha," he mock smiled. Looking around, he plotted a course to get to her without walking in the mud. "Bag," he repeated, handing it to her._

_"Thank you," she dropped it at her side, grabbed something from within and got back to work._

_"I, uh, I'm looking for a Dr. Brennan, you wouldn't happen to know where I..." He looked down, considering all this for a moment as his eyes veered back to the woman. "You're..." She looked up again, giving a smile._

_"Let me guess, Agent Booth," she pointed a muddy, gloved finger at him._

_"Special Agent... Seeley Booth," he ammended._

_"Right," she turned around, grabbing a piece of what he soon saw to be a mangled skeleton. "Careful..." she told him, placing the piece in an IDed bag. As it left her hands, it caused droplets of mud to shift from below and on to Booth's shoes. He startled, she winced and laughed lightly. "Sorry..."_

_"Yeah... So is it her..." he focused back on the body._

_"From what I can tell so far, yes. Can you..." she held her hand out toward him. He flinched. "You grab at the sleeve... Are all FBI agents so squeamish?" He humphed, reaching to pull her up. Now both standing facing each other, he pushed a smile._

_"This should be... something."_

"Booth?"

He blinked, pulled out of thought. Somehow he'd managed not to crash the car as they drove back toward his office. He couldn't help feeling like something was wrong... something had gone wrong. He didn't know what it was, but...

"Sorry..." he told Hodgins and Goodman. "Any word from your friend?" he brought them back on topic.

"Other than frustration and a few choice swears? No, nothing. She said it'd be hard. We might have to find something else..." Hodgins explained.

"Maybe..." Booth nodded.

"It's past the hour..." Goodman announced. Booth and Hodgins looked at the clock and saw he was right - the call hadn't come in, and it was five minutes late. "What should we do?"

"Here's a thought..." Booth took out his phone, dialed Brennan's cell. The rings went by, annoyingly and naggingly loud, unanswered.

Don't think the worse.

That was what his mind told him with each of those rings. It was honestly easier said than done. He still couldn't deal with it... each second that ticked by only served to give his mind more time to come up with a nastier and more frightening thought of what might have happened to delay the call. All of them ended somewhere that just filled him with rage and a feeling of helplessness at not being there to do anything about it. He wished he hadn't listened, that he'd just gone in. For a split second, his focus fell.

But then it was brought back as Hodgins reached up to turn the volume of the radio louder.

There were words you didn't want to hear, words that just made your blood run cold with each horrible possibility they could bring forth, words you wished to banish to a land of fantasy where they could be harmless and just fade away. This was no fantasy, no illusion.

"This just in, we're getting word from the scene, there have been shots fired inside the Jeffersonian Institute, where a hostage situation continues. I repeat, there has been a confirmed report of gunfire inside the sieged Jeffersonian."

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 8: Ebb & Flow

**CHAPTER 8 - Ebb & Flow**

The escalating argument may have precipitated the actions of some, but what brought the shocked silence that followed was something else entirely - it was the ringing of a phone, Brennan's phone.

It would be a while before they discovered what had led him to do it, but in an instant, Zack broke away from Brennan and Angela, moving to clear Frank from the aim of Danielle's gun. He'd almost cleared it himself.

And then the phone rang, and she startled. Her fingers quivered, and as it was they were pressed to the trigger. She felt the trigger's push, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. The sound made her ears ring, but the sight was worse. The shock, as he fell, the blood that began to seep out from his side...

"Zack!" Angela cried out. She dashed for him, as did Brennan. Neither gave a care to the situation around them. At the same time, Frank went to his sister and snatched the gun away.

"I-It was an accident, I didn't..." she stuttered, looking to her brother. Tears flowed even faster than her words. "I wasn't... I didn't... Is he... Is he okay?"

"No, he's not okay, you shot him!" Angela spoke in fury and fright.

"Zack, look at me," Brennan focused on him. His eyes blinked up at her. She tried to stop the bleeding, they both did, but they couldn't do much right then and there.

"What the hell do we do now?" Ethan asked Frank.

"I don't know!" he yelled back.

"Well you better think of something," Jim pointed out.

"Leave him alone!" Danielle cried.

"You're back on his side now?" Jim replied.

"Enough!" Frank spoke before it got any further out of hand.

"Brennan," Angela looked to her friend, eyes red and broken with tears. "What do we do? He can't... there's a lot..." Brennan tried to pull herself together. She placed Angela's hand where her own was, over the wound, before standing to face Frank.

"Let him go."

"Frank..." Ethan went to interject, but Brennan didn't let him go on.

"You want to prove you're innocent. That won't happen if you keep him here to die! Do you want that on her conscience..." she looked to Danielle, who still couldn't look away from Zack, "or yours?" she turned back to Frank.

The phone rang again, a landline this time. No one moved for a moment. Brennan looked back. Angela held onto Zack, whispering reassurances to him. The two women's eyes locked gaze for a moment - all that was needed.

"Get him out of here," Frank spoke up, looking to Jim and Ethan.

"No," Brennan cut in. The men looked at her. "Angela and I will get him out."

"How stupid do you think we are?" Jim took a step.

"You don't want me to answer that," Brennan snapped before turning to Frank. "She should go too," she nodded to Angela. "She might have a concussion."

"No..." Brennan turned back to Angela. "I'm not leaving you here." Brennan seemed about to argue, but Angela went on. "You know all those times you talked me into doing something I didn't want to do? Well, it's my turn." Brennan gave her a smiling nod before turning to Frank once again.

"We won't run. We'll come back. Think about it. Any of you point your noses out there, what do you think they'll do?" The point seemed to get across.

"Make it quick," Frank broke the silence.

Brennan and Angela didn't have to be told twice. Brennan rejoined the others and she and Angela helped Zack to his feet. He was barely conscious, couldn't walk. Placing themselves on either side of him, they rose his arms to lay over their shoulders. Carefully, they started toward the exit.

They knew what needed to be done, at least to some level. This had to end there. If it got out of the lab, a killer would no doubt go free. So the objective held - they'd see it through, make it right.

"Doc... Doctor B... Br..." Zack tried to talk.

"Shh, you're almost out, save your strength," Angela spoke shakily.

"But..." he tried again.

"It's okay," Brennan told him.

As they approached the door, the span of sunlight grew larger. They'd sort of forgotten it was still day out. It almost didn't seem right. Closer still, they could see the cop cars. It would almost be too easy to run. They were right there. But they couldn't. They'd made a deal, and they'd be true to it. The one thing that might make it harder would be if they saw those very people they'd been aching for since this had all started.

When they reached the doors, they stumbled to a stop, Brennan and Angela leaning as one to get Zack down a little. "Angela..." Brennan spoke. Wordlessly, she released the weight of Zack to Brennan and opened the door. The air hitting their faces was more like a slap in the face at that moment - no freedom, not yet. Brennan resumed her position and together they laid Zack on the ground outside the doors.

"You'll be okay," Angela squeezed his hand for a moment, as did Brennan. They could hear the rush of steps toward them. They knew they had to go, leave him.

"Come on," Brennan told Angela. She took her hand and they hurried back inside, closing the door. Once inside, they continued back down the hall with this heavy feeling on their chests - several of them actually. Fear, anger, worry, some relief...

Outside, Brennan and Angela may not have seen Booth, Hodgins and Goodman, but the men had seen THEM. When they'd pulled up to the scene, they'd hurried on out of the car, cutting through the crowd with hardly any worry for politeness. They'd just broken through and they froze at what they saw - Brennan and Angela huddled over someone. They saw the blood, and it paralyzed their ability to say... anything. When they finally reacted, it was as the two women stood and... went back inside. And at the same time they saw who they'd been huddled over... Zack, and he was the one bleeding.

The three men ran toward him, their fallen colleague... fallen brother. As much as it had been Brennan and Angela's duty to see him out, it was now theirs to get him toward the help that would save him. They would not lose one of their own - they'd never allowe it. Together, they lifted him, carrying him to a waiting ambulance. By the time he was being strapped in he was unconscious.

"I'll ride with him," Hodgins stepped up in an instant. Booth nodded, handing his keys to Goodman.

"You go on. I'll meet you there. I need to take care of some things here."

"Right," Goodman nodded before heading off. Once he and the ambulance were gone, Booth turned to the agent in charge.

"You do nothing unless I say so," he pointed his finger at him. The agent nodded, still looking like he was scared of him.

Inside, Brennan and Angela rejoined the four intruders. Suddenly they were very conscious of the blood on them, Zack's blood... Frank took notice. "You can go on to wash up," he allowed. He escorted them himself to the bathroom, standing outside as they went in quietly.

They took off their labcoats, dropped them to the ground. Neither of them could speak a word as they washed off the blood, watched it swirl down the drain. It was everywhere... in creases, under their nails... Angela started to cry. Brennan looked at her, feeling tears of her own coming up. Wordlessly, she placed her arms around her. Angela lowered her head, placing a hand to Brennan's arm as they stood there, the only sound being the water rushing from the faucets.

When she'd regained some composure, Angela nodded, patting Brennan's arm. She pulled back, and they resumed washing their hands.

Outside the bathroom, Frank paced just a bit. The manner in which the situation had escalated was starting to get to him. When Brennan's phone, still in his hand, started ringing, he startled but answered. "Hello..." he spoke flatly.

"Who shot him?" he heard Booth's voice.

"It... it was an accident, I swear."

"That's not what I asked."

"I can't say. But it won't happen again." His bravado from previous calls seemed to be gone. He closed his eyes. "You're FBI, aren't you?" his brain finally allowed understanding.

"Yeah," Booth answered. For the first time, he was hearing the real Franklin Kinsley Jr - he was sure of it, just as he was sure the one person in there he'd cover for was his sister. "You didn't kill your father," he stated.

"I didn't," Frank stated back.

"Don't make me regret trusting you."

"I won't."

"Tell me about Tasha Morgan." There was a pause.

"They killed her... so I'd 'join'. I didn't want to lose anyone else... didn't want anyone to get hurt. So I did. I tried to change things... I knew there were people who didn't like it, but I didn't think they'd go after..."

"Frank, you should let Dr. Brennan and Angela go."

"I can't... not yet..." It was at that moment that the door to the bathroom opened. Brennan and Angela looked at Frank, and he knew they'd heard it all. Before he could say a thing, Brennan held her hand out for the phone. He gave it to her.

"Booth..." she spoke, her emotions in check. "How's Zack?"

"He's on his way to the hospital. Are you two okay?" Brennan looked at Angela. Telling him about the incident right now would achieve no good.

"We're okay. Frank's innocent. We have proof." At this, he looked up at her.

"What about the others in there?" Booth asked.

"I don't know."

"But it's one of them?"

"I'm sure of it."

"I can't just do nothing, not now..."

"You're not doing 'nothing', you know it. Work with what you know now. We will too. We have a new ally," she looked to Frank. He nodded approvingly.

x

Hodgins had sat back quietly the whole ride to the hospital. He just sat there, watching as the paramedics worked to stabilize Zack. He thought he knew what a surreal moment felt like... and then this had happened. All he could think about now was that he didn't want Zack to die. He couldn't... he was Zack, he was always... there.

When they arrived, Hodgins hopped off the 'bus' and got out of the way as they wheeled him into the ER, prattling stats. It took Goodman's arrival at his side to get him moving again. There wasn't much to do... just sit and wait.

"Hodgins," he looked up and was surprised to find it was Russ Brennan - with Dory moving along behind him.

Dorothy Horner was truly a mystery of the world. She could certainly never be deemed as predictable. It often took people a little while to get used to how she 'worked'. Her high-pitched voice certainly factored in - if you valued your hearing, you didn't want her mad.

"Hi..." Hodgins managed. "How did..."

"We heard about the shots, we were on our way there and we saw the ambulance so we swerved," she replied, trying very hard to keep her voice down.

"Back it up, how do you two..."

"Oh!" her voice escaped her and she quickly scanned for angry looks. "Went to the FBI," her eyes sparkled, "to find you and I ran into him," she pointed at Russ.

"And you were there..."

"For this," she held up a bag proudly.

"Right... I was going to call you..."

"What?" she raised her head with a blink.

"We actually decided against it." She frowned, her face crunching together.

"What happened?" Russ brought them back to attention, and Hodgins realized he must have believed his sister was hurt.

"Zack was shot. I don't know the details. But they let him out. The others are still inside the lab."

"Is he going to be okay?" Dory asked.

"We don't know," Hodgins admitted.

"What do you want me to do with this?" she held up the bag.

"Keep it for now. We never know." She nodded, leaning forward to hug him. When she pulled back, she nodded.

"I better go. My boss will wonder where I've run off to." And with that, she turned and left.

x

After the call with Booth, Frank took Brennan and Angela back to the platform. Danielle, Ethan, and Jim sat on the steps. When they arrived back, eyes went in different directions. The three on the steps looked to Frank, who in turn only had eyes to his sister. Brennan and Angela on their part found themselves unable to look anywhere else than the blood on the ground where Zack had fallen. They had to tell themselves he'd be okay, or...

"What now?" Danielle asked her brother. He looked back at the women.

"For now, we return them to their rooms," he finally replied.

As said, Brennan and Angela were returned to their rooms. In any other instance, this might have seemed like they were back to square one. But in truth, they had a lot more on their side now. And now they could change everything.

x

Once he was done with the call, Booth did two things - he called Agent Drake to tell him to meet him at the hospital. Then he headed there himself.

All he could do as he drove there was imagine what he would have done if it had been her who'd been shot. He found it frighteningly easy to picture it. He tried desperately to chase away the image like some vile uninvited guest, but it refused to budge even a little.

When he arrived at the ER, he quickly found the group, which he was surprised to find included Russ. Before he could even make the request, Hodgins answered his question.

"We haven't heard anything yet. All they say is that they're doing their best." Booth nodded, then in the spirit of giving them some relief...

"I spoke with Temperance," he looked to Russ. They all looked up.

"What'd she say?" Russ asked.

"She said that the shooting was an accident, and that she and Angela are okay."

"Who shot him?" Goodman spoke up.

"She didn't say, but it wasn't Frank Kinsley, that much was clear."

"What happens now?" Russ asked.

"Agent Booth," Agent Drake arrived.

"Excuse me," Booth told the others. He and Drake went to talk outside.

"I heard about the shooting."

"They're working on him now. Did you get anything else from Joanna Grassi?"

"Attitude, mostly. She's solid."

"I assume by the 'mostly' that you got something?"

"Don't know if it means anything."

"Try me."

"A name... Julianne Perry."

"Jim Perry..." Booth recalled. "His mother?"

"No, Ethan James'. Which may mean..."

"Cousins. I have to go," he started toward his car, then realized Goodman had the keys. "I need your car."

"What do you want me to do?" Drake asked as he handed over his keys.

"Stay with them. I'll call."

x

"Can I ask you something?" Angela spoke into the walkie-talkie.

"Of course," Brennan replied.

"You know how Hodgins wants me to move in?" Brennan smirked.

"Yes..."

"Bear with the psychology of it, but why is it so hard for me to even consider it?"

"Well..."

"I mean, he's right, I'm there... almost all the time, so how much of a stretch would it be?"

"I..."

"What if it's too early, what if it makes things change too much and we drift apart?"

"Angela..."

"You're always the first to point out my track record... or I am. But there has to be a reason why my 'record' is the way it is. Or maybe I'm just blowing things way out of proportion and I should just suck it up and give it a shot... Like a trial period." She paused. "Brennan?"

"Seems like you've got your answer," Brennan smiled.

"Uh..." Angela replied after a moment. Brennan heard voices and steps outside. Looking at her watch, she saw it was time for the call.

"Back in a few." She hid the walkie talkie. For now, she believed it best for them to keep that a secret still.

Frank came in, closing the door behind himself. He handed the phone to Brennan. She took it and dialed.

"How's Zack?" she asked when Booth answered.

"They're still working on him. Listen, I need you to be careful to not let on to Frank what I'm about to say. For now, this stays between us."

"Sure," Brennan replied as blankly as asked.

"It's about the other two guys. Found out some things you should know."

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 9: Honesty & Deception

**CHAPTER 9 - Honesty & Deception**

"Brothers?" Angela blinked when Brennan returned with the information that Booth had given her.

"Well, stepbrothers... and cousins. Booth explained it quick. Jim's father and Ethan's mother are brother and sister, The James parents divorced, Mr. Perry died..."

"So Jim's mother and Ethan's father?" Angela filled in the rest.

"They married a while back. All along they thought Jim and Ethan met in prison. Booth believes that's what they told Frank, so that'd mean he has no idea."

"That's why Booth didn't want you to tell him," Angela understood.

"Yes."

"So what does this mean for us?"

"Booth says they'll look into it and we should just sit tight."

x

"So that's what we got for now. I'm going to try and get some answers there. What do you want to do?" Booth looked to Hodgins and Goodman. He'd never admit it, but he was glad to have them with him for this. They kept him from settling in a place of worry, knowing what situation Brennan was in. By now, this was feeling like THEIR investigation, the three of them.

"Where do we start?" was Goodman's response. Booth nodded, turning to Hodgins. He appeared less certain, and Booth imagined it had to do with making sure Zack was okay. Booth looked to Russ, who got it.

"I'll stay." Hodgins looked up at him, and then to Booth.

"Let's go."

In the car, the mood was tense. It was becoming a scary reality that the next actions they took would almost without a doubt lead to one of two outcomes - either they'd be able to get Brennan and Angela back... or they'd get them back dead... There was no margin for error.

"Agent Booth, I'm wondering, how wide did you look in your research on the Perry line?" Goodman asked after a moment.

"Not too far, I just needed to know about these two. Why?"

"It's only a thought, but I'm curious to know what the spread of the Grassi-Perry associations is." Booth pondered this.

"What are you suggesting?"

"Drop me off at the FBI. I'll do some digging."

They did so, leaving Booth and Hodgins on their own. Much like before, the ride started off quiet before talk started to trickle out when they stopped at a diner. They were to meet the James and Perry parents in an hour.

"What if I never..." Hodgins started, and Booth knew right where he was headed - because he was becoming more and more victim to the thought as well.

"You'll get more time with her, I'll do everything I can to make sure of it."

"I know you will."

"Good. So let's get back at it. What else do the files say?"

"They say..." Hodgins looked down at the papers, eyes darting along the information. "Julianne Perry and Nathaniel James married in 76, divorced in 95. Thomas Perry and Liza Kent married in 73 and remained until Thomas died in 97."

"Cause of death?" Booth interrupted.

"Hit and run. There was a witness, who helped track down the driver..." he paged through, "Stella Colton."

"Colton... That's Joanna Grassi's mother."

"Well, she's still in prison. Could be another lead."

"Good, good. Keep going."

"Right. Nathaniel James and Liza Kent married in 98. They have a six-year-old daughter, Clarissa." Hodgins turned back to Booth. "There's too many connections between these two families for it not to mean anything."

"Yeah," Booth agreed. "How do they all stack up as far as records?" Hodgins returned to his papers.

"Nathaniel, Julianne, Liza, all clean. Thomas Perry did jobs for Robert Grassi for years, but there's nothing beyond 1992. The five years prior to his death, it's like he disappeared."

"We'll ask about it when we meet the sister and the widow..."

The different scenarios played out in Booth's mind like a chart. Scenario A, Nathaniel and Liza become lovers, decide to get rid of Thomas through his connections to the Grassi family to get it done. Scenario B, Thomas pisses off Robert Grassi, who gets him knocked off. Scenario C, D, E... After a while they all seemed like little armies, facing off fiercely. He could deal with that, so long as it kept his mind from going places that only served to rattle him.

"So how's this going to work?" Hodgins asked after a moment. Booth thought for a moment more while they got back in the car.

"We'll start on them all together. If at any time it becomes clear one may be holding back, I'll take them aside. You stay with the rest, try to keep them talking without thinking too much that one of them is being isolated," he explained.

"Okay," Hodgins nodded.

"They might try to get information out of YOU, just be careful what you say."

"Right."

"We are investigating the murder, not the hostage situation or their sons."

"So we'll say," Hodgins understood.

"So we'll say," Booth agreed.

When they arrived at the James home, they were escorted into the living room, where Nathaniel, Liza, and Julianne waited. At first glance, they weren't all that expressive. It would take a time before they saw where each of them stood.

"Thank you for seeing us," Booth started. "Now I realize we didn't go into much detail, so allow me to explain it further. I assume you've heard about the body that was found in a park this morning..."

"The fire, yes," Nathaniel James spoke up. There was a flicker in his eye, a sort of fear, and he imagined Mr. James thought it would be that Booth would announce him as either Ethan or Jim.

"The victim was identified as a Franklin Kinsley Sr. You knew him, is that correct?"

"That was him?" Liza reacted. "Tina called, but she didn't say..." she took her husband's hand. Julianne, at their side, averted her eyes, looked to Booth and Hodgins.

"Yes," Booth responded, looking back to Julianne. "We're trying to find out what happened to him."

"And how are we to help?" Julianne asked. Booth was growing concerned at the vibe he was getting from her, most of all what it might mean.

"If you know something, anyone that might have wanted to harm Mr. Kingsley..." he paused as his phone rang. "Excuse me," he told the trio, looking to Hodgins before walking off into the hall. He looked at his watch - it wasn't time for the call yet. But then he saw it wasn't that. "Dr. Goodman?" he answered.

"Are you with anyone at the moment?"

"Not in this instant, but not far. Why?" he asked, looking to the side.

"I've been doing research, as you know. I believe I've stumbled on something of great interest."

"I'm listening."

"As you may be aware from the files you had with you, there's a gap in recorded activity for Thomas Perry between 1992 and his death in 1997."

"Yes," Booth confirmed.

"I believe I may know why."

"Alright."

"Mind you, this is strictly a working theory. All I've got so far though... seems to support it. You're familiar with the story of the Trojan Horse, I believe?"

"Yes?" Booth frowned.

"In this situation, it's as though the Grassi clan are the Trojans, and they're being invaded without their knowledge, soldiers taking positions and waiting to attack."

"So who are the... Greeks?"

"The Perry family."

Booth didn't have time to decide whether he was surprised by this or not. He turned to rightly find he was no longer alone. Standing a few feet away, Julianne Perry locked eyes with him.

"Thank you. I'll get back to you," Booth told Goodman before hanging up.

"Is everything alright?" Julianne asked, the concern in her voice only sounding half true. As far as what he'd witnessed, the information he'd just been provided by Goodman made him think this woman was not to be taken lightly.

"It is," he nodded plainly. "Would you mind me asking a bit of a personal question?" Julianne half-smiled.

"I'll let you know..." she nodded.

"Okay. Now you and your ex-husband and your... former sister-in-law... Were you aware of Mr. Kinsley's in-laws?"

"As much as can be expected," she shrugged.

"Really..." Booth nodded. "What about when your brother worked for them?" If there was such a thing, Julianne Perry's armor went up at the mention of her brother.

"What do you know about Thomas?"

"I know he was one of Robert Grassi's top go-to guys for years, but then he just... disappeared. And then he died. Now what I don't know is... why would he suddenly pull away? It wasn't for lack of physicality, so... what?"

Booth could see it on her face - she was working very hard not to say certain things and end up spilling the beans on some topics she shouldn't. Whatever she was up to, she was still settling into all of it. As luck would have it - for her - Hodgins came out into the hall at that moment.

"Sorry, I..." he paused as Booth and Julianne looked back at him. "Uh, we have to go," he turned to Booth.

"Next time you want to ask a question... pick someone else," Julianne walked off.

"Thank you," Booth tilted his head just a little before following Hodgins out. "What do we have?" Booth asked him once they drove off.

"Dr. Goodman said to meet him at your office," he replied.

"Right." Booth took the car toward there. "Did you get anything?"

"The other two? As clueless as can be..."

"Let's just hope Goodman has something good."

x

"Did you find it?" Brennan asked Angela.

"Not yet. Are you sure about this?"

"Honestly?"

"Right. Don't tell me." Brennan couldn't help smiling there. "What about Frank? He's on board with everything?"

"Yes..."

"Everything?"

"He said it was the best thing to do."

"What about you? Are you..."

"Angela, it's done. Keep looking."

"Okay." A few seconds later, "I got it."

x

"I don't know who's playing dumb, or who's genuinely unaware, but I couldn't believe this has gone unnoticed," Goodman absently paced before Booth and Hodgins.

"What do you have?" Booth asked.

"The Perry family's sole association to Grassi... for years... was Thomas Perry. That all started to change about fourteen... fifteen years ago." Hodgins nodded. "Wasn't easy placing them, not at first. But then you start with one, you get another. The first few get in innocently enough... business, friends, acquaintances... Afterward, I can only imagine it took word of mouth to get the others in. Trust had been built."

"Right, so what does this tell us? How's it helping?" Booth asked.

"Well, while I was building up the connections, I came upon something." Goodman took a step toward the desk, taking a file and handing it to Booth. He read the name on the side.

"Lydia Caldwell?" He opened it, and for the second time in one day found himself facing a new name attached to a familiar face. "Julianne Perry..." he showed Hodgins.

"I'll be..." Hodgins exhaled.

"She's leading this... the rebellion, mutiny, whatever it is... This changes... some things."

"Enough to get everyone out?" Hodgins asked Booth. He looked at him.

"Not a moment too soon. We'll need a few hours to set it all up. But I know what to do." Hodgins and Goodman could see it in his eyes. They were no longer aimless.

x

_THREE HOURS LATER_

"What do you want to do?" Jim asked Ethan, now standing at Angela's door together.

"This is getting too long. But then coming from Frank, what do you expect?" he shook his head.

"I agree. If we're gonna get out of here okay, we need a clean break. That means no witnesses." Ethan looked at him. "Is that going to be a problem?" Jim asked, as Ethan looked to Danielle.

"No. Not a problem."

x

Two hours before, they'd gotten a call to come down to the hospital. Naturally, they feared the worst. They were relieved to find themselves not completely right. There'd been a small complication, but soon they'd stabilized Zack and gotten him to a room, where he slept. The others stayed at his bedside, talk of procedure being interspersed with talk of their friend, of other things. After nearly two hours, the room was mostly quiet, though they'd throw in ideas and adjustments to the plan now and again, as they still went through the files. What they looked for marked their desperation, and the worry that this very desperation might make their plan unsafe to Brennan and Angela...

It was Hodgins who'd absently looked up for a moment, just in time to catch sight of a flicker of movement from Zack's part.

"Zack..." he stood, catching the others' attention. They stood as well, while Hodgins approached his friend. After a moment, his eyes began fighting to open. "Welcome back," Hodgins nodded.

"What..."

"You're in the hospital, do you remember why you're here?"

"Accident... shot... but, accident..." he mumbled. The others shared a look. "Had to protect..." he paused, throat dry. Dr. Goodman brought him some water, helped him drink.

"Protect who, Zack?" Booth asked.

"Frank..." he replied after a moment. That caught him by surprise. "He's... innocent, couldn't let him... I pushed him, and then..."

"Why'd you do that?" The three men were listening with such intent... this was their one link to the inside...

"The knife, the hilt... I saw it... Raised his arm, saw it under his coat..."

"Who, Zack?" Hodgins asked.

"Don't know his name." Booth grabbed Jim and Ethan's files. He held up the two pictures for Zack to see.

"Which one?" Zack squinted, Booth brought the pictures closer. Slowly, Zack raised his arm, then his finger to point.

"He killed Kinsley, he hit Angela..." Hodgins looked up at that.

"Angela?" he repeated. Zack looked at him, as did the others. "What happened?"

"Knocked her out a while. When Frank found out, he confronted the others. That's when..."

"Is she okay?" Hodgins prodded.

"I think so... Didn't appear to have a concussion." Hodgins breathed out and shuddered at once. "Get them out."

"We will, Zack. Thanks to you," Booth looked down to his hand, holding the image of the man who'd killed Franklin Kinsley Sr.

x

In the three hours that had passed, Brennan and Angela had had very little to do but sit and wait. Brennan had spoken with Booth twice, at which time she'd been informed of developments on the plan. At times she'd have to give him information, aspects of the plan needed an adjustment in light of what she knew.

Angela wished they could just will it all away - make it so that none of this had happened. Franklin Sr getting killed, the three of them taken hostage, Zack getting shot... All this trouble brought on by the directions some people had taken in their lives, things sometimes out of their control... The Kinsleys were good people, the lot of them, she truly believed that. But then Mrs. Kinsley's family had pulled them into this world they should never have been a part of. Because of that, a man was dead, another was thrust into a position of danger... a woman had lost her husband, could lose her children, and a girl was stuck in the middle with much confusion.

When they'd heard that Zack was stable, it was like an anvil lifted from their shoulders. They could try to banish the images... as he fell, as he bled... They may still have been trapped, but one of them was free, and would be alright. That was good, better than good.

Shortly thereafter, it was time for the next call to Booth. Frank arrived, closing the door. He handed her the phone and she dialed. After a moment, someone answered, and it wasn't Booth.

"Doctor Brennan," Hodgins greeted her.

"Where's Booth?" she asked.

"He's taking care of some things, asked me to wait on the call. Zack woke up."

"He did?" Brennan asked happily.

"Yes... he told me about Angela." Brennan paused. "Is she okay?" Hodgins begged.

"She's fine, it's barely a headache now. Listen, I'm sorry we didn't tell you."

"No, it's okay. Probably saved me from doing something stupid." He took a pause. "He also told us why he jumped. He IDed the killer, something about a knife?"

"Yes," Brennan sat up. She knew she couldn't let Frank know, and she hoped she hadn't sounded too happy.

"Now that we know, you know what this means." She looked up at Frank.

"Yes... I do."

"Time to get you out."

**TBC**

**xxx**

_A/N: Hey, a little note on the end... I finished writing the story! This is how it'll go:  
Chapter 9: (today)  
Chapter 10: May 21st  
Chapter 11: May 28th  
Chapter 12: June 4th  
Epilogue: June 11th_

_After that, be on the lookout for the third story in this series, called **"The Amends in Vain"**._


	11. Chapter 10: Cops & Robbers

**CHAPTER 10 - Cops & Robbers**

When Brennan hung up the phone, she looked up to Frank. The moment he saw the look on her face, he knew what she would say.

"Time to move." She nodded. "I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" she asked. Silence settled in as Frank seemed to ask himself that very question.

"Yes," he finally responded. He looked back to the door, then again to Brennan. "Can you really do this? How are you going to make this work and not get caught in the middle?"

"We'll find a way. I promise we'll do our best to get eveyone out... and catch your father's killer." That seemed to help.

"Thank you. I'm sorry it had to be like..."

"I know," she nodded.

"Okay..." he breathed out. "I better go out there," he scratched at the back of his neck. "Here..." he returned her phone. "Won't need it anymore." He left, closing the door and in effect giving the greenlight on the plan.

After a moment, Brennan put the phone in her pocket and went to get the walkie-talkie.

"Angela, it's time."

"Now? What happened?"

"Zack woke up. He IDed the killer. It's the brown-haired one." Up to then, they only knew Frank and Danielle's names. The other two were the "brown-haired" and "blonde-haired" ones.

"Okay, so what do we do?"

"You do your part, get it in position and then you hide."

"Wait, wait, you're not seriously going out there on your own."

"You already got hurt once, I won't make it worse. Just count off ten minutes, and then you do it."

x

Outside, it was taking on the look that was to be expected - they were about to move in... so not many people moved. This plan, if it was to work, required for those inside who weren't in on it not to find out. For all they knew, they were listening for media reports, or had people on the outside feeding them information. So the news crews could know nothing of it. It was all about taking steps quietly.

As Agent Drake worked to secure transportation, Dory rejoined Hodgins and Booth, handing them the bag. "If you lose your job over this, I'll see about getting you something here." Hodgins gave her a part on the arm.

"Good to know," she nodded before heading off.

"Go," Booth told Hodgins.

"I'll get it done," he nodded and went. Booth looked at his watch. In eight minutes, Brennan and Angela would be making their move. In ten minutes, Booth and his team would go right through those doors. There was no margin for error, so he just hoped Hodgins knew what he was doing.

Goodman snaked through the still gathered crowd of Jeffersonian employees, looking for two in particular, security guards he was familiar with. When he found them, he hurried.

"Miss Saldana, Mr. Hoyt, I need to speak with you. They nodded and followed him to the side. Carefully, he explained what he needed them to do. Without question, they nodded.

At the same time, Booth was tracking down Agents Samuels and Hammer, giving them instructions of their own. When he was done, he looked up, finding Goodman's eyes. Goodman nodded, Booth did as well, watching as the four guards and agents walked off to meet with Agent Drake.

On the side of the building, Hodgins felt like some secret spy as he moved to find what he was looking for. He went through a door and down a hall. When he arrived, he put the bag down and crouched down. He looked at his watch - six minutes. Hopefully, this wouldn't be too hard. He got to work, reading Dory's careful instructions.

He thought for sure his hands would shake, that he'd be so paralyzed with the weight of what he had to do that he'd somehow lose his ability to work this. But he didn't, he altered the ventilation. And Angela was the key. He never understood just how powerful a thing like love could be, not as much as he did over the course of that day.

Sitting there on his knees, working against such a fast ticking clock, his power came with images that ran through his mind. Not pictures of the past they'd had so far, but of a future they could and would have. He imagined just how happy she had made him, and how happy she would continue to make him. It was certain he had never felt this way.

When his hands finally stopped moving again, seeing that he'd done it, he got out. He reached for his phone and dialed up Booth. He answered right away.

"Yeah?"

"We're set," he checked his watch again - one minute.

"Good work, Hodgins."

X

Inside, Brennan, Angela… They couldn't depend on constant action to keep them and their minds busy. Until the time came, there was really nothing they could do except wait. They could go over the steps until they knew them forward and backward, but it wasn't necessary and would only serve to make them more nervous.

Angela, for her part, just talked to Brennan like it was any other day. She knew what her friend had set off to do, and she couldn't imagine she was as breezy about it as she was letting on.

"You don't think I'll get a bald patch, do you? A nasty scar?"

"On your head?" Brennan couldn't help smiling. "I don't think so."

"Good to know," Angela nodded. "No matter what I like to do, that just would not work out for me."

"Right," Brennan nodded with a smile still. She looked at the clock and her resolve face came on. "It's time…"

"See you on the outside," Angela heard Brennan's walkie-talkie click 'off'. It took a moment before she heard something else, something that made her blood run cold.

Static… Someone was listening in.

Her finger fidgeted to turn off her walkie-talkie, tossing it under her bloody lab coat with a gasp. How much had they heard? What were they going to do? Brennan wouldn't know someone was on to her.

X

Back in her room, Brennan put away her walkie-talkie, opening another drawer to find the bottle she'd hidden there a few hours earlier. Bringing a chair to sit under the air vent, she climbed on it. She'd know soon enough if Hodgins had done his job. Pulling back the grate, she opened the bottle and gently deposited it before putting the grate back.

After climbing down from the chair, Brennan took a breath. It was just a moment, a final push, but she needed it. And in that instant, she had just a hint of doubt. All this time, she'd been telling Angela she had no problem with it at all. Now she was alone and on the verge of going in… and the reality was hitting like a ton of bricks. What if she did it wrong? Someone would get killed…

Brennan knocked on the door. Danielle answered.

"What?"

"I need to talk to Frank. Right now."

"Since when do you give orders?"

"Danielle…" The two women looked up as Frank spoke up. Danielle rolled her eyes and moved aside. Brennan moved past her as Frank took a couple of steps.

"What do you want now?" Frank returned to his earlier tone.

"I want you to let us go," she spoke, serious. Frank chuckled, looking to the others as he walked up closer.

"Sorry, that's not how it works."

"Look, you're not going to get anywhere by keeping us here for however long you think this can go on. You're only making things worse for everyone."

"How do you figure? It's just as much hostage taking, whether it's… ten hours or ten days…" He paused, shaking his head. "Not that this is any of your business."

Out of the corner of her eye, Brennan saw something that threw her. She knew that Danielle was somewhere near, but the other two were giving each other these looks like they knew… something more was going on. Knowing Booth would be coming in within a minute. She turned back to Frank, trying to convey the urgency to him without overdoing it.

"I don't care."

"Too bad," Frank told her, turning away. Brennan looked up again and blinked to see them going toward Angela's door. Hoping it would serve to stop them, she got back on track, grabbing Frank's gun from behind him and pointing it up at him, cocking it.

"You sure about that?"

Frank stopped, turned back to her. Brennan knew in that instant that she wouldn't have time to hide. Not that there was any danger from what they were doing, but it would take the control from her, and that wasn't so pleasant. In fact it scared her a little. She wasn't going to let it show.

"Bad move," Frank told her, holding a hand back toward the others, to keep them from shooting. As it turned out though, they didn't seem to care, in fact they just turned back to Angela's door.

"If you say so," Brennan told Frank.

"Good luck getting out alive," he told her. Those were the magic words, both were aware of what she had to do now, and still she hesitated for a second.

But then she saw them open the door. So she looked back to Frank, took aim, and she pulled the trigger.

"No!" Danielle shouted. But then a moment later, she stumbled and fell, losing consciousness.

It was happening. Frank, on the ground, went from breathing deep, holding at the wound, to being out cold as well. She felt it come, fast as they'd hoped, just as she could hear the echo of Jim's voice toward Angela.

"What are you doing up there?"

But then she was down, unconscious. She didn't know if they got to Angela before they fell. She didn't know if she'd managed to stop herself breathing it in… All she knew was the dark, taking her over like an all-powerful being.

X

Out front, Booth looked to his watch - it was time. No more hiding.

"Drake! Get the vans, get the ambulance. Hodgins! Hit the vents. Everyone," he turned to the others. "Masks on, you have your assignments. Let's go."

The doors were opened, and into the Jeffersonian they went in full FBI glory. His heart beat with such anxiety, he almost couldn't move fast enough, even though they had to follow procedure. If not for the big wigs at the bureau's sake, then for Brennan's sake, and Angela's, and - to some level - for Frank's.

When they broke through to the middle, the scene was something utterly unforgettable, in the sense that the image of it all would never be able to leave his brain… and the other agents as well, he figured.

Everyone lay there on the ground, looking so… at peace and in anguish at the same time. Among them, he gasped to find Brennan, lying there with the gun still in her hand. He hurried to her side, removing the object from within her hand, dropping it to the ground. Wordlessly, he picked her up and ran toward the exit.

When they got out, he ignored the applause from the people gathered nearby, to get her breathing fresh air. He saw one of the paramedics run over, so he lowered himself to the ground, so she could lie on it, though he still kept her in his arms. He had her back, he wasn't letting go.

"Is she okay?" Booth asked the paramedic.

"She should be, just…" Before he could finish, Brennan got to coughing. "Well there you go…" Booth smiled in relief. "She needs to go to the hospital, to be on the safe side."

"Got it," he spoke absently, lost in her eyes as they finally opened. When her hazy gaze found him, he smiled. "Welcome back."

"Hi…" she seemed just as relieved to see him as he'd been to see her. "Angela?"

Booth looked up, noticing for the first time the progression of the rest of the situation. Everyone was moving quickly along. They knew the stakes, which Booth and the others had made sure of. Frank, Danielle, Ethan, and Jim were wheeled by, one by one. Ethan was put in one van, Jim was placed in another. Danielle was taken to the third van, while Frank was placed in an ambulance.

Angela was already on her feet - although shakily - as one of the agents escorted her out. In a moment, Hodgins had hurried over, taking over for the agent, looking her over before placing his arms around her, kissing the side of her head before helping her to a paramedic.

"Yeah, she's okay. You all made it."

"Okay," she nodded groggily.

Booth picked her back up, helping her toward an ambulance. Goodman joined them, falling in step with them. "How are we doing?" Booth asked.

"I'll be staying behind to help oversee whatever they have to do inside. They're sweeping the rooms to find the supposed bomb."

"Let me know how that goes," Booth nodded before they got in the ambulance and took off.

Through the ride, Booth looked over Brennan. She was quietly recovering from the exposure that had led to her loss of consciousness. At the same time he could see the whole day sway through her eyes like a lulled frenzy. The hurry was finally over, and now it was all falling over her. Booth gave her hand a squeeze. She turned her head to look at him.

"You'll be okay," was all he could say. "By the way… Hodgins and Goodman know about…" She nodded. "Your brother too…" She blinked. "Yeah, he helped. You'll be proud." That got a smile out of her, which got one from him.

"Is Zack okay?"

"Last I heard, he was sleeping it off. You guys got him out okay."

"Yeah…"

"Starting to feel better?" She nodded.

"Thank you… Stayed out."

"Hey, I have been known to do what I'm told on occasions. And it looks like you did right. We got our guy… record time. Frank should be pleased."

"Frank…" she asked.

"Riding with Drake," he simply replied. "For now, just relax, alright?"

"Okay," she closed her eyes.

He pushed her hair off her face slowly. Now that her eyes were closed, he let go of the tension. She had enough on her mind without seeing anguish in his eyes. She was here now, she was safe now… And all he could think about was how it had been such a normal, beautiful morning, and now…

He knew the kind of lives they led, they both did. Danger was something that would remain a possibility. It was filled with such denial… No matter what could happen, they could trick their minds into believing it wouldn't come so long as they didn't have to deal with it. Booth had quickly found that having her with him in his life this way made it that much easier. At the same time, the threat of that danger became that much more terrifying. He felt like he'd been holding his breath all day.

He remembered the talks they'd had, about the risks. They'd wonder about what they could end up putting each other through, though they weren't too good at putting it in the right words.

But then deep down, they knew the worries were not something they should allow to lead their lives around. They'd sit back and think of what they had, and they knew they had it pretty good. They both had their issues, their baggage from past relationships… It all changed with them.

They arrived at the hospital a few minutes later. By that point, Brennan was fully awake and aware. She stayed quiet though, and Booth could see it in her eyes - she just needed to see Angela, see Zack…

When they pulled up to the hospital, Booth could see Russ waiting on them. Booth put his hand on Brennan's arm so she'd look up. As soon as the doors opened, Booth helped Brennan down to her brother's arms, nodding to the paramedics.

"Are you okay?" Russ asked his sister.

"Yeah…" she promised as they went off to have her checked out.

"I'll be right there," Booth called to them.

Booth went to the nurses' station, asking where Angela was off to. He was told and he went to find her. When he did, she and Hodgins were talking while a doctor checked her over, checked her head.

"No pushing, we'll take it slow," Angela was saying. Hodgins was smiling.

"I can do that," he nodded.

"Okay." He paused. "So we'll give it a shot."

"If it doesn't work, I'll move you back out myself," he held his hands up.

Booth knocked at the door lightly. Hodgins and Angela looked up. "Hey, Angela."

"Booth… You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now."

"The feeling's mutual," Booth nodded.

"Is Brennan okay?"

"She's fine. She was asking about you, and Zack…"

"Zack…" she sat up. "Can we go see him?"

When the examination was done, with a clean bill of health, they went out in the hall, Brennan and Angela meeting up. They hugged, the relief in them was so strong, it was impossible to find the words to describe it.

Together, they went toward Zack's room. When they arrived, they saw he was awake, staring up at the television. As he saw the others coming in though, he turned his attention to them.

"Dr. Brennan, Angela…" They went up to him, smiling and taking hold of his hands.

"We're so glad to see you're okay, you really scared us for a while," Angela told him, trying not to cry again.

"What happened?" he asked.

"It's a long story, but you know… We couldn't have done it without you," Brennan nodded.

"N-no, I mean… they just said it on the news, they said… Frank died…"

**TBC**


	12. Chapter 11: Winnings & Losses

**CHAPTER 11 - Winnings & Losses**

Danielle Kinsley was unconscious as they loaded her into her transport. It wouldn't be until she woke up that she'd find her mother was there with her. Neither of them said anything... neither knew where to start. After everything that had happened that day, suddenly there were new realities to face. Things would never be the same again, and they weren't ready to face it.

But then the agent riding with them got a call. He turned to the driver, and he gave a new destination.

"What's happening? Where are we..." Mrs. Kinsley started. The agent turned again.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but we just got a call from another agent. Your son didn't make it."

It took a moment for the two of them to absorb these words, their significance... For Tina Kinsley, it was the second news of this kind she received in a single day... It didn't come any easier. She took hold of her daughter, her last link to the simple and happy life she thought she lived up until that morning.

"We're taking you to see him now," the agent went on after a moment.

The rest of the ride was silent, the two women trying to brace themselves for what was about to happen. They went around to enter the back of the morgue. The agent escorted them - escorted Danielle. They reached a closed room, outside of which agent Drake waited. He nodded to the other agent, who stood down.

"You take all the time you need," Drake put his hand on Mrs. Kinsley's shoulder. She and Danielle nodded.

"Thank you..." Danielle spoke flatly. Drake opened the door and let them in before closing it again to resume his post.

Inside, Tina and Danielle took a moment to realize something didn't look right. The table was empty, save for a note.

"Don't make a scene."

"What?" Danielle frowned.

"Mom..." They froze, turned around.

Frank stood behind them... or rather he leaned against the wall, his hand to his side, where he'd been shot. The two women gasped.

"Don't scream, they'll hear you," Frank held up his free hand.

"Oh honey..." Tina cried, approaching her son. "You... how..."

"I'll explain, don't worry," he nodded. Danielle couldn't stop staring, tears welling in her eyes.

"But... she shot you..." He looked up.

"I know. I told her to."

xx

**_HOURS BEFORE_**

_"I can't just do nothing, not now..."_

_"You're not doing 'nothing', you know it," Brennan told Booth. "Work with what you know now. We will too. We have a new ally," she looked to Frank, who nodded. She brought the phone up for him to hear._

_"Okay, but he'll need to disappear. No point in saving him if they'll get him after he gets out."_

_"I know," Frank agreed._

_"So what are we saying?"_

_"Fake his death," Booth went on. "I'll make sure we hide him well."_

_"What about my mother and my sister? I don't want them to end up like my father, and Tasha..."_

_"We'll work it out." After a moment, he continued. "They'll need to see something out there..." Brennan looked to Frank._

_"What if I got shot..." Frank spoke up. There was silence a moment. "You can do that, right? Make sure it's not fatal?"_

_"Bones?" Booth asked. She and Angela were sharing a look._

_"I'll do it," Brennan finally said. Angela looked down. "Angela and I will take down the others. That thing you suggested before? I think we can do it."_

_"You have the material?" Booth asked._

_"We'll find it. You do your part, we'll do ours."_

_"Okay," she could hear the smile in his voice, which made her smile back._

_"What are you going to do about Frank once you get him out?"_

_"Well, I have an ally too..."_

_x_

_**SHORTLY AFTER**_

_Once Booth had left the hospital, he'd called Drake as promised. He told him to meet him at his office. When he arrived, Booth asked him to close the door._

_"I need your help with something."_

_"Alright," Drake looked at him._

xx

**PRESENT - AN HOUR LATER**

"When are we going to interrogate him?" Brennan asked Booth after they'd finally gotten her to lie down. Booth pushed a tray of food her way.

"'We' are not doing anything..." he handed her a fork. She frowned and took it. "Not until tomorrow morning. It's been a long day for everyone. Alright?"

"Fine," she nodded after a moment.

"Good. Now eat," he pointed to the bowl. She gave him a look. "Trust me."

"Right, I forget you're... familiar with the hospital cafeteria," she smirked.

"Don't mock," he pointed at her, smiling more than scolding. She replied by taking a bite. "There we go," he nodded, keeping his head down after a moment. Brennan saw this. She put her fork down, taking her hand to rest on top of his head.

"Booth?"

"I'm sorry, I..." he looked up. "It's over, we got everyone out, but I can't help thinking what would have happened if... if you..." Brennan pushed the rolling table aside, scooching up to reach Booth, bringing him into her arms. There was no argument. He took a breath.

"I know how you feel..." It'd been seven months since that dreadful day where she'd thought he had died, and still there was a time now or then where she had to see him, to hold him, for her to make sure he was okay. So she offered herself for him to hold freely, feeling his relief and how she needed HIM... It was something she protected with all her heart, something private that was just theirs.

x

"Hey..." Hodgins greeted Zack as he entered his room. "I wasn't sure if you'd be awake... How are you doing?"

"I don't know... Not good, but better than a couple hours ago."

"Well, Angela's asleep, so..." He noticed the television was on. "What are you watching?"

"I'm not sure. I just didn't want to watch the news," he explained, waving the remote about. "If you want to..." he indicated the nearby chair.

"Alright," he went to sit.

Both were quiet for a while. There were so many things they wanted to know from one another, but just trying to get past the fact that this day had really happened was already so much of a hurdle, and they couldn't get there yet.

There were a lot of 'what if's in the air. What if their positions had been reversed - Zack outside and Hodgins inside? What if they had done things differently? What would have happened? Would they still be sitting in this hospital room together?

"I don't know if I would have been able to do what you did," Hodgins finally started. Zack looked over.

"I didn't know I could do it either, it just happened. Split second." Hodgins nodded, and Zack did the same.

"Good..." Hodgins went on nodding. "I'm proud of you, man." That took Zack by surprise.

"Thank you..."

"Don't look so shocked. Come on, let's just watch... whatever that is..." Hodgins looked back up to the television. A moment later, Zack did the same.

x

By the time Dr. Goodman pulled up in the driveway before his home, it was after two in the morning. Now that the crisis was mostly averted, now that the urgency had gone away, the weight and exhaustion began to set in. It was easy to just power through with so much on the line, but now he just wanted to be home with his wife and daughters.

He worried sometimes that he was missing out on so much with them, and today was an even bigger reminder of that. The whole way through, he thought of how worried he was for his colleagues inside, but also of how worried his family must have been, even if he hadn't been inside. So throughout the day, he'd called every so often, to ease them. Still he could hear it in their voices - they just wanted him home. He hoped they could hear it from him as well.

He was careful as he opened the door, knowing that the twins would be asleep for sure, and his wife may be as well. He walked through to the living room when he heard the television.

"Claire?" he called slowly. He found her asleep on the couch. She stirred at his voice, and he approached to try and keep her from waking. She must have been exhausted as well. "Shh, shh..." he brushed the blanket back over her.

"Daniel?" she begged, still half asleep.

"Yes," he smiled. Perhaps it was selfish on his part, but he was now glad he'd accidentally woken her up. She opened her eyes up at him, those eyes he thanked the heavens every morning to have looking back at him with such love.

"What time is it?" she asked, rubbing at her eyes.

"Two... 2:15," he checked his watch. "You want to go up to bed? I'll be there in a few minutes."

"No, it's alright. How about some tea?" she sat up. He smiled. That was her way of saying she wanted to talk - about what happened, wanted to know what came of it. He called it her therapist tendency.

"Sure," he offered his hand to help her up. "Next weekend... picnic, movie?" She laughed.

"I'll hold you to that."

"You most certainly may."

x

Tina Kinsley arrived to a silent home. Her home used to shine with the energy given by her husband, her children. Frankie hadn't been living there anymore, but it hadn't changed the energy all that much. But now... Her husband was dead, her daughter was in jail, and her son was being taken out of town under the mask of 'death'.

She was all alone.

That statement echoed like a taunt through her mind. She knew Agent Booth had promised they'd do their best to make sure Danielle would get back to her. He suggested they left town as well, but she refused. She wouldn't run.

Still, she didn't know if she could stay in this house anymore. It hurt too much to look every which way and be hit with memories that only served to tell her two things - her family was broken, and her family had been a lie. She thought she knew them, but now she was finding she didn't know so much.

She'd spoken with Danielle shortly before they'd taken her away. She got to ask the dreaded question that had been on her mind all this nightmare of a day.

Why?

Danielle didn't want to talk, not at first. She just sat there, staring at the table. Tina took her daughter's hands, willing for her to look up and give her... something, anything to tell her why on earth she would do such a thing. Eventually, she got to talking.

"I remember the day we first met Grandpa Robert, you know? I was five years old, but I remember it. As young as I was, I knew... I knew what he was about. Frankie was his hero. His grandson, his heir... He was my first grandfather, I'd never had that... I wanted it so much. I was seven when I realized... I would never mean to him what Frankie did. I spent most of my life trying to prove myself to him, and the crazy thing was I had my father, and he was giving me everything I was looking for but it never mattered. And now he's gone... and he's not coming back. I always followed Frankie, I thought he'd get me to where I needed to be. And today I saw... what it was turning me into. I dont' want it to be what my life is, not anymore."

Danielle was in tears by the end of it... so was Tina. And then they had to take Danielle away. They hugged, and Tina held her daughter close as she whispered in her ear.

"Your dad knew you loved him. Always..."

All this courage she'd been putting forth to see her daughter through this time, now she wished she could turn it on for herself but it wasn't the same.

x

"Brennan?"

She looked up, realizing she'd only been half asleep. When her eyes focused, she found Angela angling at the door to her room. She sat up.

"Hi..."

"If you have the urge to comment on my... ensemble," she looked down at herself, "Let me remind you we are currently matching." Brennan smiled. "Is it bad that I'm happy you weren't asleep either?"

"Not at all," she shook her head.

"Good. Want to go see Zack?" Angela pointed down the hall. Brennan's response was to push her covers back and to put on her slippers.

"Think he's sleeping?" Brennan asked.

"Not a chance," Angela insisted as they started down the hall. "Ow..." she whimpered.

"You alright?"

"Well... when the fumes got to me, I was climbing down off my chair, and I may not have bruised my ego, but I sure bruised something else."

"Oh," Brennan laughed.

"Hey, come on! I'm sure you've got a shameful bruise of two, don't mock mine."

"I don't know if you'd call it shameful, but..." she lifted up the side of her shirt, forcing down a cringe at the sensation of cool air on the darkening bruise on her side and back.

"Wow... looks like it hurts. Also, kind of looks like... a banana?" Angela tilted her head.

"A banana..." Brennan let go of her shirt hem, chuckling.

"Well I can imagine why you couldn't sleep," Angela nodded. "What did you fall on, the gun?"

"No... I'm not sure what it was, not that I'd like to know."

"All I can say is... After today, the fact that this is the extent of how bad it got for us... we got lucky."

They arrived to Zack's room, finding as believed that he was indeed not asleep. When he saw Brennan and Angela, he seemed to brighten. The three of them had lived this ordeal together. No one else knew it as they did, no one had experienced it like them. It wasn't unheard of, this type of bond, and now they knew why.

"Hi," Zack raised a hand in greeting. Brennan and Angela walked in, taking seats near the bed.

"I hate that I can't sleep," Angela sighed. "It's like... the day's still happening. I need... to sleep, and to wake up the next morning. Even if I'm still here, at least it's a new start."

"I tried before, but... I keep seeing..." Zack spoke slowly, reaching to his side instinctively.

"We've got to get past this, I know... I know we have to, but... how do we do that? What we saw, what we witnessed... I can't get it out of my head. This family... these two families..." Brennan shook her head.

"It'll get fixed," Angela nodded. "We did... a lot today, in spite of the circumstances we were under. That has to mean something, you know?" She looked to the two of them.

"How do we go back?" Zack asked slowly.

That question echoed in all three of their minds - the thing they'd gone out of their way to ignore - the return to 'normal'.

x

**_ONE NIGHT AGO_**

_Franklin Kinsley Sr was widely known as a dedicated worker. He could sometimes stay hard at work until late at night. As a rule though - one he'd made to his wife on the day they wed - he'd leave his shop no later than eleven thirty. He had his route down, used the same one no matter how late he finished. He walked to and from work - they were close enough that he saw no use in taking their car. So every morning and every night, Franklin walked past the two restaurants, a bookstore, an electronics repair store... and he walked through the park._

_He'd never sensed that someone was following him, sitting in wait until the right moment where they could do their job._

_Franklin was entering an area of the park heavily set with leafy trees. The blow to his head came before he could see it coming. He faltered, but managed to turn and face his attacker. When he saw his face, he froze. It was the last person he expected to see as this was happening. It was his daughter's fiance._

_"Ethan? What..."_

_"I'm sorry, Mr. Kinsley. You have no idea how I'd rather I wasn't the one who had to do this..." he reached under his jacket for his knife._

_"Ethan, don't..." he begged weakly._

_"Look, this is going to happen, so..."_

_"What about Danielle?"_

_"I'll make sure to comfort her._

_x_

_After it was done, Ethan grabbed the body and stuck it into an opening in the rocks. Before he'd done so, he pulled Franklin's measuring tape from his pocket, wrapping it around his face... he couldn't look at him._

_He sat nearby for a while, a few hours. He needed to make sure there would be someone to find him, enough of him left to a point so he could be IDed for the goal's sake and still HE couldn't be. It wasn't an exact science, and for all he knew something would go wrong._

_But this was how his mother had wanted it, down to the last detail, so it'd have to do._

**TBC**


	13. Chapter 12: Truth & Lies

A/N: Next week, epilogue... aah!

**CHAPTER 12 - Truth & Lies**

The drama was over, and still Booth couldn't deal with surprises just yet. For instance, when he arrived at Brennan's room the next morning and found her bed empty, his mind made a few catapulting leaps toward "the worst."

Luckily, he was directed to Zack's room. He found Brennan sleeping on a small couch by the bed, head leaning against her arm on the armrest. Angela slept in much the same position at her side. He didn't want to wake her, but he knew she wouldn't want to be left out. Careful not to wake the others, he went up to Brennan, squeezing her shoulder. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes. He signaled for her to be quiet, then to follow him. She nodded. He helped her up and they headed back to her room. Once there, he handed her a bag.

"I stopped to get you a change of clothes."

"Thank you." She got dressed, after which the doctor came to check up on her. He insisted she'd need to keep it down for a few days, relax more, and then discharged her.

In the car, they were quiet for a while. Booth looked over to Brennan. She was staring off into space, or at least the once more sunlit world around her. He knew she wasn't ready to talk, and he wasn't going to push. They had to be on task about this, but no matter how much he'd try to keep the front of 'partners' in the lead, the other worry was still hanging around. He'd power through, they both would. They wouldn't have gotten to where they were now if they couldn't do that.

"Hey... if it ever gets to be too much in there..." he started, looking at the road ahead. She looked at him. She knew he was asking because it needed to be said, and he had no idea how it made her heart warm... She wasn't sure even.

"I know."

"Ethan's already confessed," Booth revealed. "He messed up, he knows it's his only way out."

"Does Danielle know?"

"Not yet. He asked to be the one to tell her." They were silent for a minute.

"So... they'll both be there?" Brennan asked as they entered the parking lot.

"Sitting face to face," Booth confirmed.

"Okay," she let out a breath.

Twenty minutes later, there they were. Booth and Brennan sat side by side at the interrogation room's table and, on each side, two impressive figures in every right.

Robert Grassi may have been weakened by age to a point, but it didn't take away any of the power he exhibited with every look, every gesture. This was a man who had sought out success, grandeur... and he'd absolutely nailed it, redefined it.

Julianne Perry, for her part, was so unassuming a person that it often deceived her true persona. She may have fooled the casual observer, but Booth... she hadn't fooled him, not one bit. He saw through those voids, those eyes that kept so much hidden. There were other things he couldn't just see through, but they'd remedy to that now.

Seeing them sitting across from one another, you could just feel the history that existed, years of secrets and betrayals, of victory, defeat, love, hate... The fact that they were in this room, with Booth and Brennan, didn't appear to phase them. As far as they were concerned, they were merely attending to formalities.

"I think it's time that some things get put on the table," Booth started. "After what happened yesterday..." He paused, waiting to see if anything would be said. "Okay," Booth stood. "My partner here," he indicated to Brennan, "was able to tell me some of the things Frank Kinsley Jr. revealed in the hours he held her and two others hostage." At this time, Robert Grassi looked up.

"Yes... you're the one who killed my grandson. Don't think you'll..."

"We already have at least two witnesses assuring us Dr. Brennan acted to protect her life. But nice try," Booth shook his head at Grassi. He moved to go stand on the other side of the table, facing Brennan. He nodded.

"Frank said he was going to be framed for his father's murder," Brennan started.

"Looks like his leadership wasn't all it was cracked up to be," Booth went on, turning to Robert Grassi. "That must have really stung, uh? All this time, grooming him to follow you and this is what you get? So when we showed up, asking questions, you must have seen this as your way out."

Booth was interrupted by a knock at the door. He opened it to find it was Dr. Goodman. He gave Booth a sheet, nodding before heading off. Booth closed the door as he read the sheet. He kept his face blank as he walked around and handed it to Brennan. As she read, he walked back to his previous standing. After a moment, Brennan folded the sheet, keeping it under her hands on the table.

"It was so easy to assume it was Frank's own family who was trying to get rid of him, all the signs were pointing to it. But then, that was what you were counting on, wasn't it?" he turned to Julianne Perry. "Sent your own son to eliminate his future father-in-law..." he shook his head.

"My son..." Julianne started.

"... confessed," Booth quieted her. "So Frank would go down, and you'd get the moment you'd been waiting for - you could make your move on the leadership of the Grassi family."

"That won't happen," Robert jumped in.

"We'll see," Julianne responded. "You and yours, you're all going to pay for what you did to my brother."

"Your brother left my son to die. He got what he had coming. Steven was going to be a great leader. But your brother was a coward and because of it, Joanna lost her father, and Stella lost her husband... I lost my son..." his voice dripped in fury mixed with sorrow.

"And if it had been the other way around, if it had been Steven who'd left Thomas so he could save his family from fending without him, you would have applauded him." Julianne was just where he was emotionally, and Booth and Brennan just sat and watched as they did all the work for them.

"And just what do you think you would accomplish? Right here, right now, everything that's going on?" Robert asked.

"Frank deserved what he got. He wasn't made for this, and the fact that you were so bent on seeing him rise to your succession... Seeing what he tried to do - and failed - yesterday just goes on to prove how your family will just crumble, fade away... And we will rise."

"Yeah, about that," Booth interjected. "Bones?" he indicated the sheet Dr. Goodman had delivered. she passed it to him, between Grassi and Perry. "Seems you two have a common blood relative, have had for six years now - Clarissa James, born Clara Perry, daughter to James Perry and Joanna Grassi." Robert and Julianne looked up. "Your ex-husband, Mrs. Perry, convinced the two of them to allow the child to be born and they would adopt her as their own. Already, they were aware of what their union would mean where you two were involved. That little girl's going to have a lot of questions when she grows up."

All were silent for a while, as everything hung in the air. It was clear to all that family was a driving force for both Robert Grassi and Julianne Perry.

"So this is what it comes down to," Booth started up again after a moment. "Things are going to change. Both of you were just sloppy here. Because of that, both of you get to go down."

Brennan stood and exited the room with Booth as agents came in for Grassi and Perry. "Still feels like we could have done more," Brennan spoke.

"All in time," he promised. "Come on, I'm taking you home."

"Okay," she smiled.

x

A few days passed, and in that time, everyone did their best to get past what had happened. The rest of the world wasn't so quick to let them forget though. They tried to keep names protected, but that lasted about as long as could be expected. Luckily, the take down of Robert Grassi and Julianne Perry took the bulk of the talk. Soon, the Jeffersonian was nothing but a passing note.

Still, not one of those three who had been hostages had set foot inside yet. Zack was still on bed rest, though he had constant care from Hodgins and Angela. He still had no idea Frank wasn't in fact dead. They saw it as a need-to-know situation, and the fewer people who knew... There was one thing he DID find out about though, and that was Booth and Brennan's 'secret'. It seemed only natural, now that Hodgins and Goodman knew. He took the revelation very matter-of-factly, insisting that he did know to a point.

Over in the 'main house', there was plenty of activity. In agreement with the 'trial period' solution to the issue of Angela moving in, she was bringing over a significant amount of her belongings, but she wasn't officially moving out of her old place until they'd made it through the next couple of months. Hodgins was more than okay with this. He called it 'the wooing time'. He also made sure Angela relaxed, didn't strain herself.

True to form, he showed her the area that could become her own private studio area, he showed her everything he hoped might let her see how much he wanted to have her there with him every day. He told her about how great it would be, how they would be so happy. She agreed to this, insisting that the trial period could be a breeze but still needed to happen.

Agent Drake managed to get what he needed for his case, enabling him to return home to Houston. He stopped by one last time, thanking Booth for the help and the collaboration opportunity. He made it clear he would be at their disposal if they ever needed him again. Booth agreed on that.

As the weekend came around, Dr. Goodman held his promise and took his wife and daughters to a picnic, and not one but two movies. It was that day, surrounded by the laughs and the joy of his girls around him that led to his seeking out Joanna Grassi.

As he met with her, there was only one thing he wanted to talk to her about. Not the case, not her grandfather's dealings... he wanted to talk about her own daughter. She seemed to resist at first, but clearly she'd been carrying around so many emotions over the last six years, they needed to come out.

She spoke about how she'd been eighteen and in love with Jim Perry. He was three years older than her, and she knew that he was involved with her grandfather's operations. She also knew that even though they cooperated, there was clear friction between the families. Jim's father, Thomas, had been partners with her father, Steven. And despite what had happened, she couldn't ignore the feelings she had.

She went on to explain how she found out she was pregnant on the very same day Jim was arrested and soon sent to jail. She told him about the baby, and about how she should just get rid of it. HE told her to go see his mother and stepfather. Faster than she would have imagined, they'd gotten her to see she had other options.

She went on to speak of how torn it had left her to part with her baby girl, but she knew it was for the best. She made no apologies about the kind of person she was, but it didn't change the love she had for her little girl. Mr. James would send pictures, videos... But as a rule she had refused herself any contact with her Clara, afraid of how much it would hurt.

Goodman told her he'd spoken with Mr. James and his wife, and that they had told him how they wished for Joanna to be a part of Clarissa's life, and how she may have been too young to grasp the concept of who she was, but if Joanna was in her life, then when Clarissa WAS old enough, things would change. He assured there was no pressure on Joanna, and that it was absolutely her decision. She liked that.

When Ethan James finally got to see Danielle Kinsley, he told her what happened with her father. That went about as well as could be expected. He knew he'd end up losing her, but he needed to tell her. He needed to see her yell at him, he knew he deserved every part of it. He'd been willing to sacrifice her when they'd been in the lab... he knew it was for cowardice's sake, but he wasn't going to run, not now.

Because of him in great part, Danielle was soon released. Her mother was happy to have her home, more than words could say. She had one thing on her mind - make her daughter's life better. Things had been going wrong, been out of her control for too long. Things would change.

x

Frank was still trying to settle into this new life he was to figure out. He was still 'in between', learning about his new identity. He kept repeating the information in his head. His new name was Matthew Mills, he was born in Seattle and moved to Kansas when he was fifteen. He had some information on the town he was heading to, where 'Matthew' was now moving to. Matthew had no family - no siblings, both parents dead. He would have a small apartment located above a bar, where he'd also have a job.

It would take a while before he could truly get used to all of this, but he knew he'd have to deal with it somehow. He kept reminding himself this was the best way to survive. He wouldn't have lasted very long back in DC, or anywhere, if he was to just stay who he was.

He had a new chance at life, he wasn't going to screw it up. To be given this after everything that had happened, part of him felt like he didn't deserve it. Because of him, people had died. Because of him, Tasha's bright and happy life had been cut short after a minimal twenty years. Because of him, his father and one of the most humble and caring men...

Oddly enough, what helped him accept that he had this chance was something Dr. Brennan had told him. She'd recognized that he wasn't 'a tough guy with a gun'. Ever since he'd met his grandfather, he'd been led toward this end, this position. He obliged it, seeing how it pleased everyone. But no one had even stopped to think what he wanted in all this. From now on, it wouldn't happen. He'd do what made HIM happy.

x

"Did Russ go home?" Booth asked as he walked into Brennan's apartment and didn't find her brother there as he had found him these last few days.

"Yeah, this morning. I told him I was fine now. Besides, I've got you," she smiled. He smiled back.

"That's right."

"I am going to miss having him here... We'd tell stories... He has this memory for details, it's just..." she shook her head.

"Sounds like MY brother," Booth commented as they went to sit at the table. "But yours probably didn't add having a knack for telling on top of that."

"No... that was usually me," she admitted.

"Why am I not surprised?" he shook his head.

"What's going on?" she got back on topic as she gave him a look about his last comment.

"Right, well... I just wanted to come and check up on you, see how you're doing..."

"I'm... fine."

"You sure?" he leaned.

"I sent Russ home, bruises have healed nicely, what else can I say?" she shrugged.

"Have you thought about when you'll come back?" She looked down. "You know... I told you how it was for me, going back after my time off..."

"I know..."

"I'm not saying it's all the same..."

"I know," she repeated.

"So... talk to me," he took her hand.

"This isn't the first time... I've been put in a position where my life was in danger. Some were much more immediate..."

"Yeah..." he nodded, recalling the stories.

"But this one, the lab..." She was struggling to find the words. She looked up.

"It's your territory. But they made it theirs..." She nodded.

"I know I have to go back eventually, a-and I will, it's just..."

"You have to make it yours again," Booth completed.

"I do... we all do." They were quiet for a moment.

"Do you remember the first time we met?" She smirked, tilting her head.

"Yes. I got mud on your shoes."

"Hey, my fault for not thinking ahead. But I learned my lesson."

"You did."

"You know, it was so awkward at first, I didn't know how it would all work."

"You said it'd be interesting."

"And I was right. No matter how frustrated I would get, you just made it impossible not to be absolutely fascinated about you. And we became partners."

"We did."

"It wasn't always easy, we butted heads... a lot." She laughed. "But there's the other things too. I'm there for you, whenever you need me, I keep you safe... and you do it for me too."

"Yes," she smiled.

"And we got together," he wrapped his hands around hers. "Everything we had, it only got better."

"Much better," she agreed.

"I know how scared you are, I've been there. I got through it because you were always right there by my side. And when you weren't, you were in my mind."

"You are too," her eyes seemed to well up. Booth's hands moved to rest on either side of her head, leaning up to stand close up to her.

"Right now, this is what I promise you. If you ever get scared in there, you just look around, and I'll be there." She smiled. He kissed her softly. When he pulled back, he smiled back, wiping at her tears.

"Thank you..." she spoke in a hush.

"Anytime," he let go after a moment.

"I just don't know... how do I get started, make that first step?"

"You do what you do best," he reached for something on the table. She hadn't even noticed he'd had a file with him.

"What's this?" she asked. He handed it to her. She looked at the name.

_Morgan, Natasha E._

"Think you're up for it?" She looked up at him, and it was all the answer he needed.

**TBC**


	14. Epilogue: The Girl in his Heart

_A/N: And here it is... the end! I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who has read my story (well, stories since it's a sequel ;)), and thank you to those who have replied... You're all awesome and you get mountains of cookies :D_

**EPILOGUE - The girl in his heart**

Tasha Morgan was exhumed the next morning, with her parents' consent. When the casket arrived, Brennan hadn't. She was outside, waiting, with Booth.

She looked up at the building, lost in thought. A few minutes later, she sensed someone approaching. She saw it was who she'd been waiting for - Angela and Zack. Much as she had, they looked up.

"Ready to go?" Angela let out a breath.

"I think... yes," Brennan nodded. They turned to Zack.

"Ready," he confirmed. He was still a little shaky on his feet, but they'd see him through.

As they went through the doors, it was hard not to think back... when they'd carried Zack out. Still, they pushed along.

When they arrived in the main area, they took pause. In fact, most everybody else in the vicinity did as well. Hodgins and Goodman, who'd been inside to receive the body, came up to them. They knew to get to the point, not insisting on the past.

"We're just about ready to get started," Hodgins explained, silently taking to Angela's side.

Brennan nodded as they moved to approach the remains laid out before them. "According to her file, Tasha Morgan was found in the alley behind the bakery where she worked. She'd been disfigured, throat cut... she bled out. Cuts on her hands suggested she fought back."

"Her mother gave me these..." Booth spoke up, holding up a couple of pictures. One was of Tasha standing behind the counter where she worked. The other was of her and Frank on what appeared to be her birthday. The way they looked at each other, it was plain to see the way they felt for one another.

Everyone got to tork, looking at what the body could tell them after two years in the ground. They looked at the file, seeing what they'd accomplished, finding where and how the case had gone cold. They all had the determination to see this case solved. It was something that needed to be done. It was their closure.

Hours passed, and it didn't seem as bad as they'd believed it anymore. There were still plenty of reminders... that couldn't be helped. But they had the greatest of assets - they had each other. They didn't have to go through it alone.

After a while, Hodgins discovered something, Zack did too. They got a track to start on, which gave Booth and Brennan some leads to follow. They headed out together, and Booth could tell how she was starting to look like she felt better. That eased his worries, the ones he tried to keep at bay even though they were never far behind where she was concerned.

They interrogated a few people, which served to further their leads. The search went on for a few days until at last, they caught a break. They always figured it was someone under Robert Grassi's employ, but finding which one it was took more time.

They found their culprit, of all places, working at Edie's Bakery, where Tasha worked. She confirmed she was asked to carry out the hit once presented with evidence.

They took the news to Tasha's parents, at the same time assuring them they could now truly rest their only child in peace. Before Booth and Brennan left, the Morgans expressed how much they wished Frank could have lived to see this.

In fact, Booth and Brennan had made sure of this.

_KANSAS - IKE'S PUB, THAT NIGHT_

_"In national news, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, in Washington DC, after having crippled the organization once led by Robert Grassi, followed up by reopening the 2005 murder case of a DC student. The victim, twenty-year-old Natasha Morgan, was brutally slain just shy of her twenty-first birthday. However, the case was never solved. That all changed, following this new look at the case. The murderer was identified..."_

"Hey, new guy, get your head out of the clouds. You alright, Mills?"

"Yeah..." he looked away from the television. "I'm alright."

**THE END**

* * *

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE THIRD INSTALLMENT IN THIS SERIES,  
**"THE AMENDS IN VAIN"**, LATER THIS SUMMER...


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